Computers and Their Effect On the Health of Children

1. Computers and Their Effect On the Health of Children By: Leanna Fitzgerald

2. Background • In recent years, computers have become extremely common. • Examples of Computers: • Laptops • Pcs • Smart Phones • Music Players • Tablets • Uses: • Entertainment • Education • Work • Communication

3. Problems That Occur From Computer Usage in Children • Visual Problems • Musculoskeletal and Postural Problems • Possible Danger of Radiation • Possible damage to Brain Development • Obesity • Displacement of Physical Activities

4. Visual Problems • Most common problem in frequent computer users. • “Flicker” • Screens of visual display terminals refresh constantly so screen doesn’t fade. • Places a strain on eyes. • Computers require a person’s eyes to focus straight ahead • makes them more susceptible to outside sources of light • Other visual problems occur because children do not move their eyes, which causes eyestrain. • Computers increase risk of Myopia (Nearsightedness).

5. Preventing Visual Damage • Avoid outside sources of light • Use computers in rooms without fluorescent lighting or flickering lights. • Can prevent headaches, eyestrains, and seizures. • Use large fonts and avoid clustered screens. • Take frequent breaks and allow your eyes to rest. • 15 minutes for every hour • 10 seconds for every 10 minutes. • Get frequent eye examinations.

6. Musculoskeletal and Postural Problems • Finnish Study • Musculoskeletal symptoms causing severe to moderate pain to adolescent computer users are common. • 2 hours or more of daily computer use increases risk for pain at most anatomic sites. • “Video Wrist” • Similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in adults • Causes numbness, pain, and sometimes tendinitis in wrists and hands. • Many problems caused from poor posture and being hunched over keyboard. • Neck and back ailments • Muscle cramps • Headaches • Irritability • Depression

7. Prevention • Sit in fitting chair, with back straight and wrists resting on desk, and feet on floor. • Adjustable work stations in schools. • Accommodate for different heights of children. • Include adjustable chairs, adjustable keyboards, etc. • Take brief resting periods to walk around. • Remain hydrated. • Deep breathing during long periods of use to relieve muscular tension.

8. Obesity and Computer Use • 19.6 % of kids aged 6-11 suffer from obesity. • 18.1 % of kids between 12-19. • KaveriSubramanyam, Robert E. Kraut, Patricia M. Greenfield, and Elisheva E. Gross found that children who spent excessive amounts of time playing video games, watching television, or using the computer have an increased risk of obesity. • 2 hours more of computer use has been assciated with increased skinfold thickness

9. Preventing Obesity • Do not eat while using a computer. • Limit the amount of time of use. • Exercise • Avoid being sedimentary for long periods of time.

10. Radiation Danger and Computer use • Video terminals emit low frequency and extremely low frequency levels of electromagnetic radiation. • Constant exposure to these electromagnetic fields can change biological functions. • Change hormone levels • Alters binding of ions to cell membranes • Modifies biochemical processes inside cell. • Research on adults has found connections to other health risks such as: • Immune system defects • Cataracts • Cancer • Computer static can also cause irritation to user and irritate eyes and skin.

11. Prevention • Although radiation poses as a threat to the user there is little knowledge on how much of a threat it poses. • Regardless, radiation can be prevented in a variety of ways: • Keep distance of 30-36 inches from screen and 4 feet or more from the backs of video display terminals. • Keep adequate distance between multiple computers (don’t place back to back, etc). • Turn computers off when not using them.

12. Displacement of Physical Activities • As computer usage has grown more common, less and less kids are getting the physical activity that they need. • Physical activity is important for good health, sleep patterns, socialization, and mental development. • Physical activity increases blood supply to brain. • Helps reduce stress and anxiety. • Computer use can cause some children to not get enough practice integrating their visual systems with bodily movement.

13. Computers and Brain Development • Computer use has been linked to seizure disorders. • Computers cause certain activities to be strengthened neurologically, while others get little stimulation and lack a strong neural base. • Introducing too much electrical programming and too many electronic escape routes (tv, video, computer-education,) can interfere with brain’swisdomand interefere with criticial times of development • Children need to learn from “touching, putting things in his mouth, moving around, and then he has to integrate all this with vision and the other senses.” • Computers can interrupt this integration.

14. Conclusion • Computers have also had many positive impacts on society. • They have made communication and organization easier. • They make information more accessible. • They also provide a variety of other functions. • However, they can also diminish the health of their users. • This can be easily solved, however, if people use computers in moderation and do not spend excessive amounts of time on them.

15. Works Cited • KaveriSubrahmanyam, Robert E. Kraut, Patricia M. Greenfield and Elisheva F. Gross. The Future of Children, Vol. 10, No. 2, Children and Computer Technology (Autumn - Winter, 2000), pp. 123-144 • "Musculoskeletal Symptoms And Computer Use Among Finnish Adolescents - Pain Intensity And Inconvenience To Everyday Life: A Cross-Sectional Study." BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 13.1 (2012): 41-47. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.