Bengaluru: Weaning children off gadgets

Bengaluru: Late US president John F Kennedy once said that children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. On November 14, Bengaluru celebrated its children by looking to improve their ophthalmologic, mental, and sexual health.

With the internet making the world a smaller place, long hours of browsing and changing lifestyle habits have led to an increase in vision related ailments among children over the last ten years. While almost all parents are attentive about their child’s physical health, most fail to understand the importance of a regular eye examination, irrespective of whether the child needs visual aids or not, said Dr Sujay Dangi, a senior optometrist.

Early detection of eye problems in children is as important as raising awareness regarding its importance, he added. To aid this awareness, on the occasion of children’s day, a month-long initiative called the Sparkling Eyes Program will be launched by Titan Eye Plus. It will be held in 172 cities across the country, including Bengaluru.

As for mental health, gadget addiction amongst children is a major cause for concern. “To ensure the well-being of their children, it is important for parents to educate them and to encourage them to adopt a healthier lifestyle.Their initiative Get off Gadgets on the occasion of children’s day, aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of abusing these gadgets on their health and well being.

Sexual health is another aspect of a child’s complete well being that needs critical attention. Children’s Day is the perfect opportunity to make them aware of their bodies and sexual health, said Harish Bhuvan from the Faith Foundation. As a part of the children’s day celebrations, through their initiative called ‘Know When to Tell No’ they aim to educate as many children as they possibly can, he added.