Dog day summer afternoons, slightly breezy summer nights, summer vacations, picnics, fireworks--- The joys of summer!
Is it time for school already? Yes, signs about the upcoming school year are fast approaching; the ads for back to school attire, school supplies and technical gadgets will soon dominate our TV ad space.
Let’s get a jump start! Many of our children will be entering those teenage years where they want to be hip, popular and stand out in the crowd. This desire will prevent many of them from telling us they are having a problem seeing the blackboard.
Teenagers are least likely to be concerned about the future of their eye health. The strain that the over use of texting and social media absorption has on vision is not a factor that would deter them from using the latest technology.
“Getting kids to think about the future of their eye health is especially problematic, because children are often unrealistic about how their actions today will affect their health years from now. So with the inundation of technology in our children's lives, how do we keep their eyes healthy and free from computer eye strain?” http://www.davisvision.com/Kids-and-Computer-Eye-Strain
Christine Williams’s staff writer for Davis Vision suggests the following:
20/20/20
Doctors recommend that every 20 minutes your kids should take a break from looking at their computer screen and focus on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
POSITION OF THE COMPUTER
To reduce eye strain, the ideal computer screen position is at a 10 to 15 degree angle below eye level, assuming your child is sitting straight up and looking straight ahead. Children often use computers set up for adult eye levels. Ideally, a child would have their own desk for their size and a dedicated computer set up specifically for their size; since this is not always practical, parents should try to find a computer screen with an adjustable height and make sure the screen is adjusted for each user.
EYE EXAMS
The best way to help reduce computer eye strain is to make sure your child has the right prescription eyeglasses.
COMPUTER GLASSES
Eyeglasses made for the correct viewing distance from a computer and with anti-reflective coating will make viewing a computer screen easier on the eyes and help reduce eye fatigue.
LOWER THE LIGHTS
Dimmer lights are better for viewing bright computer screens.
So when your teenager starts his or her first day of junior or high school they will be able to see all of the nuances that growing up bring, the new cute kid, that really “hot” designer that it seems every kid is wearing, or what we hope---THE BLACKBOARD!
Sources:
http://www.davisvision.com/Kids-and-Computer-Eye-Strain