Even if a teenager spends at the computer not more than one or two hours, he has a general fatigue, and in particular, fatigue is visual. During a computer game or when communicating on-line, teenagers experience a special "emotional excitement", they simply do not notice their fatigue and continue to work on the computer. And if the game captures, then it's completely impossible to tear yourself away from the screen, even if there are not any forces left!
But now they are already studying the computer at the kindergarten! True, in a pre-school establishment a lot of sitting at the computer will not be given to the child, you can be calm here. But at home - another thing! Here, the child remains alone with the computer and often uses it uncontrollably. The result is obvious: the child by the evening becomes agitated, harsh, sometimes even aggressive. Yes, and falls asleep with difficulty, and if the dream finally comes, then this dream is constantly interrupted. Parents often do not realize that the reason for such uncontrollable behavior of the child is a computer.
The main concern of parents is the electromagnetic and X-ray radiation from the computer. Repeated studies have shown that X-ray radiation from a computer does not exceed the norm. Electromagnetic radiation is also within acceptable limits if the computer is of good quality.
Pay attention to another: in a room with a working computer can increase the temperature, and humidity, on the contrary, decrease. This increases the content of carbon dioxide in the air, and the air itself is ionized. Ions enter the respiratory tract, lingering on the dust particles of the air. Children are especially sensitive to such changes in the qualitative composition of the air: they begin to scratch their throats, then they cough ...
Here are the basic rules for safe behavior at the computer for children:
The position of the computer is the back surface to the wall. The perfect place for him is in the corner.
Spend wet cleaning every day. Palaces and carpets are undesirable.
Wipe the screen of the computer with a damp cloth before and after work.
There is an opinion that standing next to the computer cactus helps to reduce the negative impact of the computer on health. No one has proved this opinion yet. But he did not refute it either.
Often ventilate the room, thereby reducing the content of heavy ions in the room. Fortunately, if the room has an aquarium. Evaporation of water helps increase air humidity.
But most of all the unnormalized work at the computer "hits" the child's vision.
When working on a computer, children simultaneously compare, analyze, draw conclusions. And for this you need to be in constant tension, mental and visual. In addition, we have to look at small icons on the screen, scroll through the texts, sometimes unreadable. When the child alternately looks at the screen or the keyboard, the eye muscles do not have time to contract properly, because in children they are not sufficiently developed yet. As a result, there is tension and visual fatigue, especially if the monitor screen "flashes."
The load on vision when working on a computer is of a completely different kind than when reading and watching TV, for example. It is still necessary to take into account that the child often sits at the table, stooping. And this is a load on the musculoskeletal system, which is still not completely formed in childhood.
Another important point is the child's nervous and emotional tension. Work on the computer, and especially computer games, constantly require the child nervous tension. He should be in a state of "combat readiness" in order to react in time to what is happening on the screen. Even short-term nervous tension causes fatigue. And a long pastime becomes a real emotional stress for a weak child's psyche. Hence - uncontrollability, aggressiveness and, on the contrary, fatigue, anxiety, absent-mindedness and exhaustion of the child.
What to do?
Limit the time spent by the child at the computer, especially if your child already suffers from nearsightedness. Numerous studies have shown that the safe time for a computer for a child is 15 minutes, and for a short-sighted baby - only 10. The child can work only three times a day, every other day. Watch this! Do not leave children alone with the computer.
Carry out with the child a gymnastics for the eyes. It is better to do this in the seventh - eighth minute of work, and then repeat again after its end. The simplest gymnastics will not take even a minute: let the child lift his eyes to the ceiling and present a butterfly there; let the butterfly "fly" from place to place, and the baby follows her eyes, without turning his head.
More complex variants of gymnastics (each exercise should be repeated four to five times):
- Close your eyes, and then open them sharply and look into the distance.
- Alternately look at the tip of his nose, then into the distance.
- Do slow circular motions with your eyes to one side and the other, and then look into the distance. Circular motion can be done with your eyes open and closed.
- Look at the index finger located at a distance of 30 centimeters, then bring it to the nose, continuing to look, in conclusion to look into the distance.
3. Equip a suitable workplace for the child. Particularly demanding approach to choosing a desktop. Its height should correspond to the growth of the child. The kid should not stoop, while at the table, but at the same time feel comfortable enough. The chair should be equipped with a backrest. All this is necessary to avoid muscle fatigue and maintain proper posture.
The distance from the screen to the child - the more, the better. The optimal length is fifty to seventy centimeters. At the same time, the screen should be positioned so that the view directly rests against its center.
But the correct landing at the desk: between the edge of the table and the body of the child should be a distance of not less than 5 centimeters. It is inadmissible to lean on, and even more so "lie" on the table. Legs under the table - on a stand, bent at right angles. Hands free - on the table.
The desk should be well lit, but at the same time avoid glare on the screen, which will interfere with the work, and therefore distract and fatigue.
The implementation of these simple tips will help to maintain the health of the child. After all, you now know how the computer affects the health and psyche of children.