It is not uncommon to see a bespectacled child playing a game or watching videos on his iPad, and holding the device extremely close to his eyes.

These devices emit radiation and also worsen children's naturally perfect vision.

When I was younger, my friends and I had the most fun playing catching games and fighting for a turn on the swings or slides at the playground.

It is disheartening that few children do this nowadays.

It is inevitable that technology becomes a great part of our lives. But we can stop the situation from getting worse.

It is not too late to start encouraging children and adults to take some time off from using their electronic gadgets to socialise with people and to appreciate nature. It is time for us to get out of the virtual world and enjoy the real world.

Dorothy Eng Kah Yun, 19,
Second-year polytechnic student