Greater awareness is needed to counter misinformation on social media and unproven products marketed for preventing or controlling myopia, experts said at a webinar organised by The Hindu on Sunday (August 30, 2026).
At the webinar titled ‘Excess Screentime: Is it Harming Children’s Eyes?’, Vasumathy Vedantham, ophthalmologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and paediatric retina specialist, Radhatri Nethralaya, and Vasudha Kemmanu, consultant paediatric ophthalmologist and public eye health specialist, Narayana Nethralaya, discussed the growing concern over myopia and refractive errors among children.
Dr. Vedantham highlighted the need for parents to be cautious about health information circulating on social media. She said misinformation and claims around various products and interventions for eye health were common online, and stressed that parents should rely on evidence-based medical advice rather than unverified products or remedies.
Dr. Kemmanu emphasised the importance of adequate time outdoors for children, noting that reduced outdoor exposure was a concern amid rising myopia. She said governments should introduce stronger public health measures to promote outdoor time among children and address the growing burden of myopia.
She said governments and schools needed to be part of efforts to create environments that support children’s eye health.
The experts also discussed the importance of regular eye screening, recognising early signs of vision problems and seeking timely evaluation, particularly when children develop difficulty seeing distant objects or show changes in their visual behaviour.
The session was moderated by Athira Elssa Johnson, Senior Reporter, The Hindu.
The webinar can be viewed here
