A leading Indian portal for children has been launched recently with a view to making internet surfing a safe experience for our kids. While launching the new browser, the CEO of the portal said in spite of the risks involved, it is necessary for the children to explore the vast potential of the Net  Because, millions of children everyday get the benefits of computers at home as well as at school. Computers have the ability to combine both play and learning. It has become a toy in the hands of our children with its unlimited possibilities.

Experts, however, have started expressing concern that the unbridled use of computers can pose health hazards for children. Just as any other man-made objects, computers too have their limitations. They can be harmful to a child’s physical health and well-being.

A child, with an access to a computer, spends anything between one to three hours on the gizmo and if he has access to the internet the time spent could be even more. Moreover, children of our times, unlike their parents, use computers right from the time they are toddlers. We must rather say, today our children are growing up with computers.

The risks to a child from unhindered computer usage can range from muscular-skeletal injury to visual strain. In some cases, it may even lead to psychological problems. They could develop poor posture problems. Confined to the computer work station can put undue stress on their immature bodies.

Today a large number of schools are going in for rapid computerisation but more often than not computers in schools are set up incorrectly with no consideration to the ergonomics. Children have to strain too much to see the monitors or reach the key boards, or sometimes even the positioning of the mouse may be faulty. Symptoms of computer-related disorders are not much different between adults and children. They may not be obvious in children or at times the child may not complain fearing that they will have to stop using the computer.

Studies have indicated that prolonged exposure to computers can lead both adults and children alike to a condition called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Anyone using the computers for two hours or more is at a risk of developing Computer Vision Syndrome. Symptoms of CVS include headaches, red and itchy eyes, sour eyes, fatigue, blurred vision, and neck and shoulder pain.

Workstation design can also have a great impact on the overall health and well being of the child. There are a multitude of discomforts that can result from incorrect computer workstations. For example, poor chairs and/or bad posture can cause lower back strain; or a chair that is too high can cause loss in blood circulation in legs and feet. 

And mind you, our body always tells us when some thing is wrong. It is important to listen to the signals our body sends to us. If our shoulders ache after a few hours of sitting at the computer, something could be wrong in the way we hold our shoulders while we are working. The difficulty is that children, if they experience these problems, do not complain because they don’t perceive it as a problem. They assume that the way they see it would be the way anyone else would see it. 

Hence it is imperative that parents and school authorities should be made aware of the potential of such a problem. Children need to be encouraged to come forward and discuss their difficulties without any fear that they will have to stop using computers if they come out with their problems. So to make computer a safe experience for our children, we need to first educate ourselves and understand the nitty-gritty of safe working with computers.