3D made a triumphant entrance in our screens. Now, of course, perhaps some preventive health measures were overlooked, especially in the early years of a kid’s life. Nowadays 3D movies and videogames are not suitable for children under 6 because their eye system is still at a very early stage of development.
According to a press release from the “Consejo General de Colegios de Ópticos-Optometristas CGCOO” (The General Optical Council (GOC)), “a renowned group of researchers from the University of Berkeley, in California (United States), have found out that long-time exposure to 3D movies or videogames (three dimensional or stereoscopic imaging) may cause headaches, eye fatigue and even blurred vision”.
This 3-dimensional vision causes a condition called “accommodation-convergence reflex”, producing a constant adjusting effect in viewers’ eyes between the TV screen or the console screen and the 3D effect. This ongoing effort is what causes eye fatigue, with consequences such as headaches, eye fatigue and blurred vision.
In this sense, several international health institutions, such as the very “Consejo General de Colegios de Ópticos-Optometristas (CGCOO)” (The General Optical Council (GOC)) or the “Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire” (ANSES) (National Social Security Administration), have warned of 3D movies and videogames risks for kids under 6.
In addition, they have confirmed that “the assimilation process of 3D effect makes the eyes see images on two different locations at the same time, before the bran turns them in just one. For kids (especially for those under 6), this difficulty in accommodation may show more noticeable and dangerous because their visual system is still in development. Even until the age of 13, the use of this technology should be controlled, avoiding overuse”.
A point to take into account in this context is that there are few countries that have regulations on this technology use. The Optical H team of eye-care professionals recommend having rest in intervals, using TV screen and consoles regulation to minimise the effect and place any screen at a distance three times farer than the 3D device height position.
