Realme appears to be gearing up for its first major smartphone announcement of 2025, with the upcoming Realme 16 Pro series now at the centre of several online leaks. The company has yet to formally reveal the devices, but tipsters have already begun outlining what to expect from the Realme 16 Pro
Not Just Screens, Here's How Smog Is Quietly Fuelling Myopia In Children
Not Just Screens, Here's How Smog Is Quietly Fuelling Myopia In Children
For years, conversations around childhood myopia have revolved almost entirely around screen exposure. But India's rapidly urbanising metros – blanketed by a permanent haze of pollutants – are revealing a deeper, more complex truth. In cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, children are growing up under skies that no longer offer the bright, protective daylight their eyes depend on. Even as parents attempt to balance screen habits, the environmental backdrop is quietly reshaping visual development in ways that are only now becoming visible to clinicians.
“Screen time is often portrayed as the primary villain behind rising childhood myopia, but in dense urban centres like Mumbai, the silent threat of smog-induced light deprivation is equally concerning," says Dr. Susha Sugathan, Founder, Neueye Advanced Eye Care, Mumbai.
Natural daylight, she explains, plays a critical role in regulating eye growth. “In effect, city smog acts as a thick filter, robbing children of the light intensity their biology depends on," Dr Susha adds.
Echoing this concern, Dr. Vivek Sharma, Cataract, Cornea & Lasik Surgeon at Shrihari Eye Care, Delhi, notes that in Delhi NCR, the environmental burden is significantly altering how children's eyes develop. “Days with poor air quality reduce sunlight intensity, lowering the protective effect that bright outdoor light provides against myopia progression." He points out that while children ideally need two hours of strong natural light daily, smog-choked cities rarely offer it.
Dr. Munita Raut from Dr. Agarwals Eye Hospital, Bengaluru, notes, “Construction dust, vehicular emissions, and seasonal smog episodes have steadily diminished the amount of natural light reaching children." This reduction affects dopamine release in the retina, which is a key process that prevents abnormal elongation of the eyeball.
As air quality worsens, patterns are shifting. Many children who have minimal screen exposure still develop myopia, a trend clinicians say cannot be explained by lifestyle alone.
“This isn't an isolated phenomenon. It's a pattern becoming apparent as air pollution worsens across our metros," Dr. Sugathan observes.
Pollution indirectly worsens the problem by forcing children indoors. Dr. Sharma notes that schools often keep students inside on high-pollution days. “This leads to increased digital engagement, which, combined with reduced light exposure, accelerates the onset of myopia." Smog-related irritation, watering, and eye fatigue further push kids away from outdoor play.
Dr. Raut adds that even when children do go outdoors, the quality of that exposure has changed dramatically, with diffused, weakened light offering far less protection than before.
Swipe Left For Next Video
Experts believe that India urgently needs a broader approach – one that views childhood myopia as both a lifestyle and environmental issue. Cleaner air, better-lit classrooms, more green cover, and structured outdoor time during cleaner hours can significantly improve visual health. Parents must look beyond screens and consider the atmospheric conditions shaping their child's everyday environment.
Childhood myopia in Indian cities is no longer just a screen-time story. It's an environmental one. As smog dims the natural light that children's eyes rely on, awareness, policy change, and daily routines must evolve. Protecting young vision in the age of pollution requires not just limiting devices, but reclaiming the clear, bright daylight that urban life has taken away.
Source: News18
Related Posts: How Digital Overload Is Causing Myopia In Children And What Parents Can Do Is Myopia Inherited Looking for conversations around tech development without losing value system Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban separate after almost 20 years Had big conversations OpenAI can finally stop saving deleted ChatGPT conversations Does Instagram spy on private conversations with your phone mic OpenAI routes sensitive conversations to GPT-5 Instant— What users need to know Why More Conversations Didn’t Always Translate Into Healing Is Your Phone Spying On You And Recording Your Private Conversations
Realme appears to be gearing up for its first major smartphone announcement of 2025, with the upcoming Realme 16 Pro series now at the centre of several online leaks. The company has yet to formally reveal the devices, but tipsters have already begun outlining what to expect from the Realme 16 Pro
3 months ago
