School, homework, and leisure activities sometimes mean spending extended time in front of screens is unavoidable for kids. Unfortunately, this can lead to an unpleasant condition known as digital eye strain, which has symptoms ranging from fatigue and a difficulty concentrating to red and twitching eyes. These tips from All About Vision can help your kids avoid digital eye strain entirely.
Digital Eye Strain and Kids
1. Adapt the Workspace
There are several ways to making working in front of a computer more comfortable for kids:
- Firstly, focus on desk height for your child’s smaller body. The center of the computer screen be around 10 to 15 degrees below the eyes.
- Next, if the room receives a lot of sunlight, use shades or blinds to diminish the brightness and reduce glare. Keep interior lighting at a comfortable level.
- If you have a tube-style monitor, replace it for a flat-panel LCD to reduce flickering, a major cause of eye strain.
- Finally, adjust the display settings on your computer, paying attention to brightness, text size and contrast, and color temperature.
2. Refresh Eyes
Staring at the same place for too long is tiring for the eyes. Make sure your kids practice the 20-20-20 rule: looking away from the screen every 20 minutes to gaze at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Another way to keep the eyes comfortable is to blink more frequently. This prevents eyes becoming dry or irritated. You can even combine the this exercise with the one above by blinking 10 times during every 20-second break.
3. Take Breaks
It is also important to take longer breaks of at least 15 minutes. Even though this means being away from the computer, frequent breaks can actually improve productivity. Encourage your kids to get up, move, and stretch to release tension and avoid muscle fatigue.
Spending time outdoors is a great way to take a break, but you must remember to continue protecting your kids’ eyes by making sure they wear sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection. Find a variety of styles in the Real Kids collection.