Safety & Comfort Guide User Guide

7 Carefully monitoring children using
computers
A special note for parents and teachers
It is important to encourage moderation in children’s computer use. Children use computers a lot;
they use them at school and at home for study and for play. Monitor and guide the children in your
care—start early, start now, and insist that they take breaks. Children’s bodies are still growing and
developing, and their habits while using the computer can affect their future health and fitness. Long
periods of computer use, especially without regular breaks, may contribute to discomfort and poor
fitness, and ultimately could lead to potentially serious health concerns.
Research shows that many children are viewing blurred images on the monitors because they have
uncorrected vision. Children who cannot see clearly are more likely to experience impaired reading
skills. Make sure children in your care have their eyes checked regularly by a vision care specialist.
As children work or play at their computers, it is important to monitor their posture carefully. Parents
and teachers should teach children how to adjust their work area and find their comfort zones from
the start when they use a computer. Adjustable furniture designed for computer use can help. Most
children are smaller than adults, often a lot smaller. When they use a computer area sized for adults,
the mismatch can result in a wide array of awkward postures, including dangling feet, slouched
shoulders, wrists resting on table edges, arms stretching to reach the keyboard or mouse, and eyes
looking up at the monitor.
WRONG A monitor placed too high and far away can cause young children
to slump forward into an awkward “Turtle” posture with the neck craned
forward and the back hunched and unsupported by the chair.
RIGHT Place firm pillows beneath and behind young
children if the chair is too large. Use a small mouse and
keyboard without a numeric keypad and lower the
monitor height.
TIP: When school systems fail to provide adjustable furniture designed for computer use, teachers
may consider having their students work in teams to find inventive solutions to improve their comfort
and productivity.
18 Chapter 7 Carefully monitoring children using computers