You can feel the fascination your kids have with devices like tablets and phones right from a very tender age. Despite the many advantages that tech offers to your kids, increased tech usage poses serious ergonomic health issues that can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Children are continuously learning and will give the same attention or even more to electronics. As they feel good while using them, the brain reward system can foster addiction and could lead to serious ergonomic problems as detailed below.

Ergonomics in the simplest of terms is about preventing or minimizing strain that a particular task has on the body. In this case, we’re referring to the use of electronics on your child’s body. To better understand these effects we’ve divided the information into the following categories:

1.  Physical ergonomics
2.  Cognitive ergonomics
3.  Environmental ergonomics

1.  Physical Ergonomics

The impacts here are about the physical effects on the body of your child. You may have noticed some of them and not even thought about how they may be tied to increased tech usage. Here’s how your child may be affected physically.

Poor Posture

Remember those times you found your kids slouched in bed or on the couch glued to their phones? Or that time you saw them with their backs bent while they stared at the computer? These are all examples of poor posture that over time can cause accumulated stress on the bones and muscles. This can result in chronic pain and may also affect their normal gait or posture.

The back, for instance, has a normal curvature of the spine. It curves inward in the neck region, outward in the thoracic region, and inward in the lumbar region. A poor posture like slouching in front of a screen pushes the lumbar region outward. This can strain the bones, discs, and muscles which may lead to back pain problems over time.

The bending of the neck when your child uses the phone can also affect the neck muscles and bones. This can trigger ergonomic problems such as chronic neck pain.

Obesity

Those sedentary hours spent on tech devices means that children are not burning a lot of calories. Over time, bodies not in motion will accumulate calories and put your child at risk of becoming obese. Excessive weight can lead to many health issues. From heart problems to diabetes, obesity is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases. It’s a growing health epidemic in children in many countries, one that is preventable.

Poor Physical Activity

Children are at a stage of life where they need a certain level of physical activity. It allows them to grow strong as it boosts the growth of bones and muscles. Studies have shown that children with an adequate amount of physical activity grow better than those with sub-optimal levels. It also allows children to grow well mentally, too. Increased use of technology means less time devoted to physical activity. It becomes like a giant unseen chain that imprisons them in a “resting states.”

Vision Problems

Research has shown that increased hours staring at screens is a contributor to poor vision among teens and young adults. Their vision can worsen due to the effects accumulated over time from their childhood. When your child’s tech usage increases, the risk of deterioration of vision is accelerated.

2.  Cognitive Ergonomics

In this category, the effects are mainly on learning and mental abilities and include the following:

Reduced Attention Span

Studies show that children who use electronic devices for longer per day may make children more prone to the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD). More specifically, the studies show increased screen time of digital media may reduce a child’s attention span and make him more easily distracted. It does not mean that digital media can give your child ADHD, just that these activities may cause symptoms similar to it.  

Poor School Performance

Besides the effects on learning ability, tech usage when unrestricted may result in less time devoted to academics. After all, what’s more fun – video games or homework? Less time spent studying and completing homework can lead to poorer achievement performance at school.

Behavioral Problems

The adverse impacts on self-confidence, social skills, and other behavioral abilities by increased technology usage can have a lasting impact not only in children but also when they become adults. Many children get sucked into their “electronic world” and choose to plug in their earphones rather than have a conversation with someone. As such, they may struggle more with communication and socializing one-on-one with others.

3.  Environmental Ergonomics

Although not as marked as the physical and cognitive risks above, the environment surrounding tech usage can have a negative impact on children. For example, the blue light from digital screens has been shown to influence sleep architecture.

This can lead to poor sleep quality. Children affected by the blue light may be unable to fall asleep well. In fact, it could cause them to stay awake late into the night. The effect of poor sleep is visible in the quality of their wake-hours as they may become less productive during the day.

How to Prevent Problems

Now that you know the ergonomic health impact of kids’ increased tech usage, how can you prevent these problems? Here are several solutions to consider.

Posture Control

It’s important to discuss with your child the risks that poor posture can bring on. Encourage them to maintain a good posture. Better still, you can get them a kids table that is designed to foster a good posture while they are seated. It could save them from body aches and future back problems. They can safely use a computer on it because it not only allows their backs to assume a normal curvature but also aligns their eyes at the correct angle towards the screen. This will also eliminate the need for kids bringing their laptops onto their beds. 

Screen Time Limitation

Make sure to put a limit on the total amount of time your children spend with electronic devices. Develop other interesting activities to do rather than sitting in front of the TV or computer for hours. Schedule in play time with them to make your child know that you value them more than you value your phone or tablet. You’ll not only be spending more bonding time together but will also be fostering a healthier lifestyle.

Electronic-Free Zones

It’s imperative to establish places like the dinner table as an electronic-free zone so that you can all be mindful of your eating and have real conversations. Taking the TV out of their bedroom is also a good place to start. The goal is not to make them feel like you are taking away what they enjoy or punishing them, but rather replacing the screen time with interesting and quality family time.

Too much tech usage can be dangerous to your child’s health. It’s time to help them balance their usage and realize the world is bigger than that video game or TV show.

 

Tips contributed by Allen Brown