More and more, parents are giving their children access to cell phones, iPads, laptops and other technology. Many children spend hours on these devices. Think about it - do your children’s use of these devices actually affect their eyesight?

The answer is a resounding “yes,” according to Dr. Gary Heiting in his online article Children and Technology: Protecting Your Child’s Eyes. He discusses some the vision-related problems that your child can develop:

Computer vision syndrome – Also known as digital eye strain, it is caused by visual stress resulting from too much screen time. Symptoms include headache, dry eyes, fatigue, tired eyes and fluctuating vision.
Nearsightedness – Eye doctors have seen an increase of nearsightedness and attribute it to the increasing use of computer screens.
Increased exposure to blue light – This light is emitted from LED screens on laptops and digital devices. Eye doctors are concerned that too much exposure will cause eye diseases later in life.
Unhealthy posture – When using technology, children often sit slouched in a position known as “turtling” – rounded shoulders and back with the head tilted back and chin jutted forward. This is an unhealthy position.

It is important to monitor your children’s use of these devices. Have them take breaks to give their eyes and posture a break. Encourage media-free time, including play time and family time. Their eyes are developing so they need to have large amounts of time away from these electronic devices.

For more information, CLICK HERE.

Are Your Children Consuming Too Much Digital Media?

We have all seen it. Parents are busy so they give their children some form of digital media to occupy their time while the parents get things done. Often, it is a cell phone with games. Other times, it is a laptop or other small device with games or a movie. Have you ever stopped and thought about how much digital media your children consume each day and whether it is good for them?

In October, 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics held a national conference and discussed new health regulations for children for 2017. One of the main topics was children and digital media. The Academy had previously recommended limiting the amount of television viewing to children who are 2 years or older and no more than two hours a day. However, since we have become saturated with all sorts of digital media, the Academy reviewed its recommendations and issued some new ones.

According to Dr. Jenny Radesky, “Families should proactively think about their children’s media use and talk with children about it, because too much media use can mean that children don’t have enough time during the day to play, study, talk, or sleep.” The Academy stresses the fact that problems begin when digital media takes the place of what children need to be doing in the real world and can negatively affect their health.

Some of the new recommendations are:

1. For children 18-24 months, do not allow them to use a screen except for video chatting.

2. For children 2 to 5 years old, limit screen use to 1 hour of high quality media a day.

3. For children 6 and older, parents should place consistent limits so that their children do not lose sleep and miss out on all the many fun things that children need to do.

Next time, when you want to keep your children occupied, get them a good book to read. They will learn new words and improve their comprehension skills. Nothing can or should replace a good book!

To read more about the Academy’s recommendations, CLICK HERE.