Myopia is sometimes blamed entirely on bad genes or linked to frequent digital media use, but the bigger problem could be the lack of outdoor play as children here bury themselves in prolonged near-work each day.

"It's two things - the intensity of light that you get outdoors and the fact that you're not doing near-work while you are outdoors," said Associate Professor Audrey Chia, the co-clinical director of the newly opened Myopia Centre by the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC).