Effects of iPad, iPhone and Computer Games on Vision in Infants and Children

When babies are born, their eyesight is not yet fully developed. Their visual acuity is so low that they can only perceive hand movements. By the sixth month, babies' visual acuity can improve to around 3/10. The development of vision is carried out by complex mechanisms.

Visual development is not limited to the recognition of objects, but also includes the development of colors and depth perception. This visual development is most rapid from birth to 6 years of age and then slows down until 10-12 years of age.

Some parents are concerned about whether their children's excessive computer use could lead to eye slippage or eye disorders. Parents worry about children who get up in the morning and immediately turn to their iPads or smartphones, which they can't put down for hours.

What are the effects of smartphones and tablets on children's eye health?

Ophthalmologists treat some eye conditions with visual stimuli. These stimuli are two-dimensional or three-dimensional images similar to the stimulation on tablet screens and smartphone screens. When used consciously, these visual stimuli can treat the eye. I use tablets and computers with my patients. Children's movies can be more effective than boring treatment programs and I can apply them for as long as I want. However, these applications must be done consciously. For example, if a child has a 1 diopter (degree) defect in the right eye and a 2 diopter defect in the left eye and the child plays computer games for hours, the left eye gets more tired and the eye can get tired quickly. If the child continues to play, the brain will not process the image from the left eye and this can lead to amblyopia, lazy left eye. If this condition is repeated, strabismus may occur in the left eye.

Excessive computer game playing can also have other side effects. The computer screen can cause the tear film layer to deteriorate by reducing blinking. While we can normally blink 30 times a minute to keep the surface of the eye healthy, blinking 5 or 6 times a minute in front of the screen with the hypnotic power of the computer can lead to dry eyes, redness and even blurred vision.

For babies and children, the use of iPads, iPhones, smartphones and computers is not harmful to eye development if there are no eye health problems. According to the American Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and the French Ophthalmological Society, there is no harm in normal eyes. However, as mentioned above, if there is an eye problem, it can worsen the situation. It is important to impose different restrictions in line with the age of the child. For example, for children aged 1-3 years, computer use is not considered appropriate or should be introduced in a controlled manner. For children aged 3-6 years, 1 hour of screen time per day is appropriate, while a limit of 2 hours per day is recommended for children aged 6-9 years and 3 hours per day for children older than 9 years.

Excessive gaming in children can lead to problems in brain development rather than eye problems. An individual raised on visual computer stimuli may develop hindbrain activity while forebrain development lags behind. For balanced child development, it is important to pay attention to how children spend their time and provide a loving environment.