Too Much 3-D Television May Pose Health Risks for Children and Teens

by Sara Diaz, age 13

Technology, especially in television, has improved significantly over time. From black and white to color, from poor sound quality to movie theater surround sound, and now from 2-D to 3-D, the way we watch television is constantly being reinvented.

This new way of watching television is very exciting, but some experts say there are health risks linked to watching 3-D television. Viewing 3-D television for long periods may cause motion sickness, headaches, eyestrain and more.

Manufacturers say this is nothing to stress over. For instance, Samsung encourages customers to take regular breaks while watching.

Samsung also advises customers to avoid watching in 3-D if they are feeling sick, need rest, or have been drinking alcohol. They also warn parents to carefully monitor their children’s behavior because children may not be able to describe why they feel sick.

This issue has also been studied by Gail Summers, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Minnesota and the president of American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

“They won’t say, ‘I have eye strain because I’ve watched this too long,” says Summers. “Older kids may not want to say they have a headache because they don’t want their video games restricted.” Children and teens may play video games until their eyes and head hurt. If they play as long on a 3-D television as they do on a 2-D television, serious injury may result.

A new invention is great to experiment with, but industry experts say we must remember that safety comes first.

[Source: USA Today]