Eye Gonomics In School Children

“Eye-gonomics” in school children: Reading habits and use of digital devices

INTRODUCTION

Good vision is one of the key abilities a child needs to learn, not just in school but elsewhere too. It appears that approximately 80% of the learning a child imbibes occurs through his or her eyes. Reading, writing, chalkboard work, and working on computers are among the visual tasks students are required to perform daily. In the classroom and at play, a child's eyes are always in use. When his or her vision is amiss, education and participation in sports may impede the realisation of one’s full abilities.

As children advance in school, they face increasing demands on their visual abilities. The size of print in schoolbooks gets reduced and the duration

The issue is digital eye strain, which is caused by the overuse of digital devices. Computer tablets, smartphones and other hand-held digital devices are designed for reading and close range use, therefore, eyes must constantly refocus and reposition to process content like graphics and text. Over a period of time, such efforts can lead to irritation, fatigue and vision problems.

As per a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, children and teenagers (of ages ranging from 8-18) are spending in excess of 7.5 hours a day utilizing electronic media which can cause blurry vision, difficulty focusing, dry and irritated eyes, headaches, neck pain and back pain.3

The consequences of asthenopia in children and adolescents are not completely known, although there are indications that it may interfere with attention and academic performance.4-6 There are few studies about asthenopia prevalence in elementary school students. Ip et al studied 1,4486-year-old Australian children and found asthenopia prevalence to be12.6%.7

In view of the sparse literature on the subject of digital eye strain in Indian school children, the present study was designed to assess asthenopia prevalence and its relation to digital devices in schoolgoers aged

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3. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/children-at-risk-for-eye-strain-due-to-growing-use-of-digital-devices-125880783.html

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6. Conlon EG, Lovegrove WJ, Chekaluk E, Pattison PE. Measuring visual discomfort. Vis Cogn.1999;6:637–666.

7. Ip JM, Robaei D, Rochtchina E, et al. Prevalence of eye disorders in young children with eyestrain complaints. Am J Ophthalmol.