BLUE LIGHT - RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OPTOMETRISTS BASED ON THE AGE OF THE CHILD

​“We are often asked whether LED devices and TV screens are bad for children’s eyes and how long they should be allowed to watch TV or play on these devices. I think the following article will help answer your questions.”​

Before the age of 2, and from the ages of 2 to 3

According to some studies, before the age of 2, non-interactive screens such as those used for television and DVDs have only negative effects. They can cause visual disturbances, weight gain, delayed language, a lack of concentration and attention, and should therefore be avoided for infants.

Between 2 and 3 years of age, exposing children to television in a passive and prolonged way and without an interactive, educational human presence is strongly discouraged. Of course, the ideal would be not to expose them at all to these screens because, at this age, children need to build their temporal and spatial guidelines. For that reason, good vision is extremely necessary.
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From the age of 3, screens help children to distinguish between the real and the virtual. They will be able to copy and imitate what they see. However, they should not spend more than 1 hour per day in front of a screen (all devices combined). Screens are good, but in small doses.

​From 4 to 6 years of age

At about 4 years of age, computers, game consoles and especially (parents) cellular phones can become an occasional casual gaming for the child. However, it is important to pay attention to a child’s hours of use and to avoid allowing a child to play alone because at this age, and up to 6 years old, addiction can appear. It is therefore necessary to avoid allowing a child to have a personal device before this age.
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Moreover, it is between the ages of 3 and 6 that a child needs to develop all of his manual and sensory possibilities. Optometrists recommend that children not exceed 1 hour of screen use per day. In addition, health and childhood professionals suggest that the programs and applications chosen must be of high quality. In addition, they recommend that parents are present in order to explain what their child is seeing and how it applies to the world around them.

6 to 12 years of age and older

It is important for the social development of the children to be established when the child is between 6 and 10 years of age. That is to say, it is best to set a certain amount of screen time per day so that the child can discover social gaming and involve themselves with others.

From 9 to 12 years of age, children need to explore the world and its complexity.

From the age of 12, parents must monitor possible night-time screen use because it can be harmful. Good use of these screens allows an adolescent to improve control over emotions and thoughts, actions and decisions. However, excessive use of screens and especially the Internet can lead to zapping thoughts that are too fast, superficial and fluid. This reduces memory as well as the ability to synthesize the personal and consciousness. It also causes drowsiness, difficult concentration and eye problems. Vision is essential to a child’s learning experience – this can be reflected in academic performance when one observes a decline.

THE BEST WAY TO COPE WITH SCREEN ADDICTION: CHANGE EDUCATION AND GET AN EYE EXAM