What are the dangers of children watching too many iPads? How to avoid it?

In today's households, many children, starting from the age of one or two, use tablet computers (such as iPads) to watch educational cartoons and play brain games. Some parents even consider them as tools for early education. However, is it safe for children to use tablets excessively for a prolonged period? This question is currently a subject of debate. Some experts believe that electronic devices themselves have already been proven to have no harmful effects on children's development. A research organization in the UK tracked 19,000 infants born between 2000 and 2001 and published the "Millennium Cohort Study" report, which showed that children who played electronic games for more than three hours a day did not exhibit any signs of negative behavioral changes. However, a recent study in the United States suggested that children who watch too much television are more likely to become obese, with the risk of family life disruptions doubling with each hour of television watched. The study also found that these children had poorer emotional well-being. Another recent study revealed that children who spend less time on tablets have longer sleeping hours, leaner bodies, better academic performance, and fewer behavioral problems.

A significant amount of practical examples indicate that electronic products pose significant risks to children's eyes. When children play with iPads, their arms are shorter than adults', causing their eyes to be closer to the screen. They often play without time restrictions purely for interest. According to reports, watching animated videos on an iPad stimulates the ciliary muscles of the eyes equivalent to ten times that of watching television. A netizen posted, "Three medical staff from a Zhejiang Province eye hospital conducted a four-day experiment on their children, and the results showed that playing on an iPad for 20 minutes resulted in their children having average visual acuity close to mild pseudomyopia, and their tear film rupture time was comparable to that of dry eye patients; playing on the phone for 10 minutes is equivalent to watching television for 30 minutes."

It is well-known that portable electronic devices pose a significant risk of close, detailed, and tense eye usage. At the same time, people often forget to blink due to their intense focus on the screen. Each blink forms an extremely thin tear film on the surface of the cornea, which keeps the eyes moist. However, extended periods without blinking result in shorter tear film rupture times, causing rapid evaporation of the corneal surface moisture, leading to dry and fatigued eyes. Over time, this may lead to dry eye syndrome.

To reduce the harm of electronic devices to children's eyes, parents should pay attention to the following points when supervising their children's usage: ① Encourage children to maintain a distance of 30 centimeters from the screen when using the iPad. ② Try to limit the time children spend using the iPad, with each session not exceeding 15 minutes. ③ If using the iPad for early education, try to choose DVDs to be played on the television instead. ④ Avoid using the iPad with the lights off at night to prevent glare, increase eye fatigue, and avoid myopia. Avoid using the iPad two hours before bedtime.

Another hazard of children excessively looking down at the iPad is the risk of cervical spondylosis. When a person's head is vertical to the neck, the tension in the muscles is zero, meaning the weight borne by the neck comes entirely from the head. When the head is lowered to 15 degrees, the force gauge reads 0.5 kg. At this point, the pressure on the neck is the sum of the head's weight and the muscle tension, amounting to 1 kg, which is twice that of the vertical position. As the angle increases, reaching 45 degrees, the pressure on the neck reaches 1.85 kg, 3.7 times that of the vertical position.

Experts suggest that parents should educate their children to slightly raise their heads while watching videos, control the time of usage, and take breaks every 20 to 30 minutes to do activities such as expanding the chest and shrugging shoulders while stretching and bending the neck. By adhering to these practices, the chance of cervical spondylosis will be reduced.