As the Christmas season approaches, we all start looking for the ideal gift for each member of our family. But if a gift is made to a child, special care must be taken, since they are at an age of physical and mental development and growth, and overexposure to a negative stimulus could mark their evolution.
So, in this article we are going to focus on screens and children, be careful with Christmas gifts. That is, we will explain the problems that screens can cause in children and, in addition, we will give you some tips to avoid them.
Problems Caused by Children’s Screens
Overexposure of children to electronic screens or viewing them without adequate distance can impair their eyesight.One of the most frequent problems that can appear is visual fatigue. This phenomenon occurs when we look at something closely for a long time and the eye muscles become overloaded from the effort, even becoming blocked.
And this fact is becoming more and more valid. For example, the National College of Opticians-Optometrists of Spain (CNOO) has warned of the danger of overexposure to these devices and have recommended that parents control the time their children use them.
They have indicated that it is essential to establish a limit of exposure to screens by the little ones, as well as the importance of periodic reviews from the age of 4, to be able to see that its development is normal and detect any anomaly in time. In the case of encountering any problem, recommend the use of adapted contact lenses or glasses to help correct it.
Tips To Avoid These Problems
And although screens can be harmful to your eyes, by following some basic recommendations you can reduce the chances of that happening to your child. Pay attention to these tips:
Good room lighting
One of the most frequent eye strains is when looking at an image, text or object in low light for a long time. For this reason, it is important that you correctly adjust the lighting of the screen and that of the passenger compartment where you are.
Avoid reflections
It is also important that the screen is sharp and the images that appear on it are clearly visible. Therefore, it is better if no light is reflected.
20-20-20 rule
If your child has been staring at the screen for a long time, suggest that he do the 20-20-20 rule. That is, every 20 minutes using near vision, you must rest for 20 seconds looking at a place that is 20 feet away, the equivalent of about six meters.
Correct distance
In order not to strain your eyes and cause problems such as fatigue, temporary blurred vision or difficulty in focusing, you must position yourself at a suitable distance. This is a minimum distance of 30 cm for mobiles and tablets, and 50 cm for computers or game consoles.
