Eye strains

Staring at an LCD screen for hours on end is not good for the eyes, especially for corneas that are still developing in kids. Though they learn a lot from educational websites and mobile apps, the potential eye damage caused by looking too long at a screen should be considered. Blurred vision, fatigue, headaches, myopia, and dry eyes are just a few examples. So how can this be prevented? Monitor the use of children with their gadgets. Provide a time limit and make sure they use their devices in a well-lit room and not in a dark room with a bright screen.

Hearing problems

This is a common issue for kids who love to use music players and watch videos on tablets. Though not necessarily a problem, children tend to listen to music at a higher volume and can do this for hours. This can result in hearing loss or nerve damage to the ears. A good alternative to earphones would be to get them loud speakers set at a reasonable volume so that the sounds are not focused on their ears when they listen to music or watch videos

Posture

As kids, we were often told to sit straight and avoid slouching. As gadgets are popular with the youth, we can see most of their backs are hunched over instead of sitting straight. Wrist and hand pains are also a common problem when proper typing positions are not enforced. Thumb pains are a result of too much swiping and bending at odd angles when using gadgets while lying down on the bed. The solution? When you see your kids leaning while on their laptops and smartphones, correct their posture. Let them use a mouse instead of a laptop trackpad to prevent straining their wrists.

Solutions

Though this is not to say that technology has a bad thing. In moderation, children can reap the benefits but adults should monitor and put a limit to how much screen time kids should get in a day. Below are some alternatives to gadgets that kids like will enjoy and tips to remember when letting them use electronics.