 
Watching too much television and spending too long in front of a computer is behind rising rates of short-sightedness, say scientists.
Australian researchers examined rising rates of short-sightedness in Asia.
Countries like Japan and Singapore have seen a sharp increase in cases in recent years. Some experts say genes are behind the rise.
But the researchers found people's lifestyle was to blame, according to a report in New Scientist magazine.
They said the findings may also explain rising rates of short-sightedness in other parts of the world.
High rates
East Asia has much higher rates of short-sightedness or myopia than other parts of the world.
In Singapore, 80% of 18-year-old men recruited to the army are short-sighted. This compares with 25% just 30 years ago.
There has also been an increase in the number of people with extreme myopia, which can lead to blindness.
Police and other employers are having problems finding people who meet their requirements for good sight.Ian Morgan and colleagues at the Australian National University in Canberra reviewed 40 studies.
They found no evidence to support the theory that genes were behind the rising rates of myopia in East Asia.
For instance, they found that while 70% of 18-year-old men of Indian origin living in Singapore have myopia, it only affects 10% of those living in India.
Similarly, 80% of 14 to 18-year-old boys in religious schools in Israel, which have a strong emphasis on reading religious texts, have myopia.
This compares to just 30% of those in state schools, where there is no such emphasis.
The researchers said their findings, originally published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, point to lifestyle factors rather than genetics.
West affected
They warned that western countries are also set to see rates of myopia rise in the years ahead.
In Sweden, 50% of 12-year-old children are short-sighted. That is expected to be 70% by the time they are 18.
"As kids spend more time indoors, on computers or watching telly, we are going to become just as myopic," said Ian Morgan.
Professor Bernard Gilmartin, director of research at the Neurosciences Research Institute at Aston University in Birmingham, welcomed the study.
"The findings relate to what we call school myopia which has a classic onset of nine or 10 years of age," he told BBC News Online.
"He is saying that who ever you expose to urbanisation or the education background associated with modern life, the chances are they will become myopic."
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It is hard to avoid television if you are a kid. People in the house are usually tuned in to TV - siblings as well as parents. In some homes, the television is perpetually "on" even without anyone watching. It is common for parents and caregivers to use TV as a substitute babysitter. Also, many parents buy videos that they think can make their kids smart. But how does watching TV really affect children?
The bad news is, the majority of experts think that a TV/video-driven culture has bad effects on kids - and may prevent kids from being smart. They cite the following:
- TV viewing takes away the time that your child needs to develop important skills like language, creativity, motor, and social skills. These skills are developed in the kids’ first two years (a critical time for brain development) through play, exploration, and conversation. Your kid’s language skills, for example, do not improve by passively listening to the TV. It is developed by interacting with people, when talking and listening is used in the context of real life.
- TV viewing numbs your kid's mind as it prevents your child from exercising initiative, being intellectually challenged, thinking analytically, and using his imagination.
- TV viewing takes away time from reading and improving reading skills through practice (Comstock, 1991). Kids watching cartoons and entertainment television during pre-school years have poorer pre-reading skills at age 5 (Macbeth, 1996). Also, kids who watch entertainment TV are also less likely to read books and other print media (Wright & Huston, 1995).
- According to Speech and language expert Dr. Sally Ward, 20 years of research show that kids who are bombarded by background TV noise in their homes have trouble paying attention to voices when there is also background noise.
- Kids who watch a lot of TV have trouble paying attention to teachers because they are accustomed to the fast-paced visual stimulation on TV. Kids who watch TV more than they talk to their family have a difficult time adjusting from being visual learners to aural learners (learning by listening). They also have shorter attention spans.
- School kids who watch too much TV also tend to work less on their homework. When doing homework with TV on the background, kids tend to retain less skill and information. When they lose sleep because of TV, they become less alert during the day, and this results in poor school performance.
- TV exposes your kid to negative influences, and promotes negative behavior. TV shows and commercials usually show violence, alcohol, drug use and sex in a positive light. The mind of your kid is like clay. It forms early impressions on what it sees, and these early impressions determine how he sees the world and affect his grown-up behavior. For instance, twenty years of research has shown that children who are more exposed to media violence behave more aggressively as kids and when they are older. They are taught by TV that violence is the way to resolve conflict – as when a TV hero beats up a bad guy to subdue him.
- Kids who watch too much TV are usually overweight, according to the American Medical Association. Kids often snack on junk food while watching TV. They are also influenced by commercials to consume unhealthy food. Also, they are not running, jumping, or doing activities that burn calories and increase metabolism. Obese kids, unless they change their habits, tend to be obese when they become adults.
- Some experts, however, believe that TV is not all that bad. They qualify though that viewing TV can be good if it is done in moderation, and if the program being watched is selected:
- Some TV shows can educate, inform and inspire. It can be more effective than books or audiotapes in teaching your kid about processes like how a plant grows or how to bake a cake.
- Studies show that kids who watch educational and non-violent children’s shows do better on reading and math tests than those who do not watch these programs.
- Kids who watch informative and educational shows as preschoolers tend to watch more informative and educational shows when they get older. They use TV effectively as a complement to school learning. On the other hand, kids who watch more entertainment program watch fewer informative programs as they get older (Macbeth, 1996).
- Preschoolers who viewed educational programs tend to have higher grades, are less aggressive and value their studies more when they reach high school, according to a long-term study (Anderson, et. al, 2001).
- Finally, scientists from the University of Siena found that children experience a soothing, painkilling effect by watching cartoons. So perhaps, a little entertainment TV can be a source of relief to kids who are stressed or are in pain.
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As kids spend more time indoors, on computers or watching telly, we are going to become just as myopic 