Recent research has revealed that children must spend some time in sun to prevent myopia. The study found that children's eyesight was not as much affected by long hours spent in front of the television or playing computer games as by the lack of sunlight.

The study showed that exposure to bright light can help regulate the eyeball's growth in childhood, dramatically reducing the risk of myopia.

Researchers from the Australian National University and Sydney University compared the eyesight of young Chinese Australians and Singaporeans. Comparison revealed that 30 per cent of six-year-olds in Singapore need glasses as compared to 3 per cent of Chinese Australians while the time spent in playing video games, reading and watching television was same. But children in Australia spend an average of 2 hours each day outside as compared with 30 minutes spend by children in Singapore. The figures were similar when children of Chinese descent from both nations, were compared.

Mr. Morgan said the research found playing video games had the same effect on vision as reading, using the computer had a "neutral" effect and watching television had no affect at all. But he warned students in their twenties who spend a lot of time inside reading should be aware that their eyes needed exposure to natural light to stay healthy.