Eye Health Kid's Eye Health Video Games and Eyestrain By Troy Bedinghaus, OD linkedin Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association. Learn about our editorial process Troy Bedinghaus, OD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Jonathan B. Jassey, DO on April 17, 2020 facebook Jonathan Jassey, DO, is a board-certified private pediatrician at Bellmore Merrick Medical in Bellmore, New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Jonathan B. Jassey, DO Updated on February 24, 2021 Print Many parents wonder if spending too much time playing video games can hurt their child. Questions arise about obesity and aggressive behavior. While extended periods of time playing video games may possibly affect a children's weight and behavior, many parents often forget about the possible effects on their eyes and vision. Rebecca Nelson / Getty Images Playing video games for extended amounts of time can cause children to experience many of the same symptoms seen in computer vision syndrome in adults. Extensive viewing of the game screen can lead to eye discomfort, fatigue, blurry vision, and headaches. Kids seem to become so engrossed in video games that they forget to take breaks. Prolonged gameplay without significant breaks can cause eye focusing problems, as well as eye irritation. Focusing Problems The eyes focus much differently on a video screen than on a flat surface, such as a piece of notebook paper. When looking at printed material, the brain and eyes understand exactly what distance at which to focus. When looking at a video screen, the eyes are constantly changing focus, making the eyes very tired. Furthermore, when playing video games, the eyes tend to become "locked in" to the screen. This may make it difficult for the eyes to focus easily on other objects, even long after the video game is turned off. Eye Irritation Kids tend to blink much less frequently while absorbed in a video game or other video screen use. This reduced blinking can significantly affect the flow of tears, sometimes resulting in dryness and irritation. Advice for Parents If your children enjoy playing video games, encourage them to take frequent breaks. Set a timer for 20 minutes, and have them do something else for 5 minutes when the buzzer sounds. Also, make sure your children sit as far away as possible from the video screen. The minimum recommended distance in the case of console games, such as PlayStation, Gamecube, Xbox or Wii, is 6 feet, while the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 10 feet for television screens (depending on the size of the screen), 2 feet for desktop computer screens or laptops, and 1 foot for mobile phones. Setting guidelines for your children will help prevent the negative effects that prolonged video gameplay can have on their eyes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Yin K, Zi Y, Zhuang W, et al. Linking Esports to health risks and benefits: Current knowledge and future research needs. J Sport Health Sci. 2020;9(6):485-488. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2020.04.006 Rechichi C, De Mojà G, Aragona P. Video game vision syndrome: A new clinical picture in children? J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017 Nov 1;54(6):346-355. doi:10.3928/01913913-20170510-01 Randolph SA. Computer vision syndrome. Workplace Health Saf. 2017 Jul;65(7):328. doi:10.1177/2165079917712727 American Academy of Pediatrics. Give your child's eyes a screen-time break: Here's why. Updated January 25, 2021.