Research from Australia found that children should spend a minimum of two to three hours outside each day in direct sunlight to avoid becoming short-sighted.
The study, conducted by the Australia Research Council, contradicts the widely accepted belief that watching television, reading or playing computer games ruins vision.
It also found no link between the flickering of television and computer screens and damaged eyesight.
Instead, the research found exposure to bright light can help regulate the eyeball's growth in childhood, dramatically reducing the risk of myopia.
Short-sightedness is traditionally a problem among the highly educated who spend a lot of time indoors, lead researcher Professor Ian Morgan said.
"There's a driver for people to become myopic and that's education," he said. "And there's a brake on people becoming myopic and that's people going outside."
(From an article in Mail Online)
Of course, sunlight is the best and only natural source of vitamin D, which prevents rickets and other bone and muscle disorders.
jollyweez
Yes, let the children play in the sunshine. Toast their roly-poly bodies into a splendid glow. Make them tired enough to eat their supper and sleep without disturbance. Ah, but we poor adults are warned not to reveal our unshaded eyes to Mr. Sun anymore. 'Tis said sunlight can cause cataracts.