As kids spend more time staring at digital devices, parents should remain vigilant for symptoms of eye strain.

Electronic devices such as the iPhone 4S, iPad, the Nook Tablet, and Kindle Fire were at the top of every kid’s “wish list” this holiday season. Legions of kids unwrapped gifts that held digital devices requiring hours of viewing time, first trying to get familiar with the software, then setting up personal accounts, and finally playing the hottest techie games on the market. As any parent will attest, it’s often difficult to get the technology recipients to tear their eyes away from the digital screen to come to the dinner table. What parents need to remember is that these devices may increase the risk of computer vision syndrome (CVS)/eyestrain when children spend inordinate amounts of time playing with their new gifts. Typically, symptoms are temporary and will disappear with reduced screen time, but occasionally may recur when returning to the digital displays.

According to VSP Optometrist, Dr. Alice Sterling, some of the common symptoms of CVS include headaches, blurry vision, dry and sore eyes, and shoulder/back pain. “If your child is complaining of these types of symptoms, it is probably time to visit your eye doctor and limit digital screen usage,” she says.

With over 60 million school-age children using digital devices for hours each day, eye doctors are seeing an increasing number of cases of eyestrain. According to a recent study, children between the ages of 11-18 spend 1.5 hours a day just texting. Additionally, those aged 8-18 are spending more than 7.5 hours a day consuming electronic media. With so much time being spent in front of computers and other digital gadgets, it is important that children practice healthy vision habits.

Easy Tips to Avoid Digital Device Eye Strain

Blink Often: When looking at a computer or hand-held digital device, it’s common for you to blink two to three times less than you normally would. This can lead to “dry eye.” Blinking bathes your eyes in tears, and tears are naturally therapeutic for the eyes.

Adopt the 20/20/20 Rule: When spending long periods in front of a digital screen, every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away to allow your eyes to rest.

Ensure Proper Lighting: Poor lighting often causes eye strain. To help ease the strain on your eyes, keep bright lighting overhead to a minimum, and position your desk lamp to shine on your desk, and not directly at you.

Apply Anti-glare screens: If there is no way to minimize glare from light sources, consider using a screen glare filter. These filters decrease the amount of light reflected from the computer screen.

Wear it: If your child wears prescription glasses for digital use or otherwise, make sure he or she has them on.

The most important thing to remember is moderation, advises Dr. Sterling. “Children under the age of two should not use digital devices, and for children over two years of age, parents should  limit the amount of time they spend in front of these digital displays,” she says. “Remember, your child may not complain about CVS symptoms for fear that you will take the device away. Make sure that you monitor your children, their behavior, and their screen time.”