Kids Spending A Lot Of Time With Their Electronic Devices? How To Protect Their Vision

If your kids are like the majority of US kids, they spend about seven hours a day using things like video games, computers, and televisions. During that time, their eyes are focusing on a brightly lit monitor – whether it's the television or the computer screen. Over time, those electronic devices can do a lot of damage to your kid's vision. You don't have to cancel out your kid's electronic usage. You do have to take some safety precautions though. Use these three simple steps to protect your kids' vision. 

Get Regular Vision Exams

When it comes to your kids' vision, the first line of defense is the optometrist. Those annual vision exams will catch problems you might not even realize your children have. If your children spend a lot of time in front of the computer – whether for games or for school – the blue light radiating from the screen could be damaging their vision. Even if your children don't need glasses, your optometrist can help them with protective lenses that will filter out the harmful blue light rays. 

Encourage Frequent Breaks

Seven hours is a lot of time to spend in front of electronic devices. Unfortunately, since most school work is done online now, you can't always limit that time. You can encourage frequent breaks though. Frequent breaks will reduce the amount of stress that your children's eyes are experiencing. One way to get your kids to take breaks is to teach them this simple eye relaxation method. 

When your children are using electronic devices, have them take a break every 30 minutes. Encourage them to look away from the screen, pick an object across the room and focus on that for about 30-seconds. Finally, have them close their eyes for another 30 seconds before they return to the screen. You should also teach them to take a break from their device whenever they feel their eyes getting tired. 

Teach Them Proper Viewing Habits

While your children are using electronic devices, it's important for them to follow proper viewing habits. When your children are using a computer, they should always sit in a chair that allows them to place their feet firmly on the floor, with the screen at eye level. They should also have a light on in the room when they're using the computer or other electronic devices. Practicing proper viewing habits will help prevent eye strain. 

Your kids are growing up in the electronic age. To make sure they don't suffer vision problems from using their electronic devices, talk to your optometrist about ways to protect your kids' eyes. For more information, check out a site like http://allabouteyes.com.