Parents Warned About Children's Computer Use

PERTH, Australia, April 30, 2010 - Parents are being warned that computers may be causing physical problems
for their children.

The warning comes in a set of 12 new evidence-based guidelines - the
first of their kind - produced by an international team of experts led by
Professor Leon Straker of Curtin University of Technology.

The team, with representatives from Harvard University, the University of
Queensland and the University of Washington, has researched the guidelines
for more than 10 years.

Professor Straker said the guidelines were important because computer use
by children was extremely high globally and discomfort reported by children
using computers was increasing.

"Nearly all children in affluent countries now use computers, with over
90 percent of enrolled school children in the US using a computer at school,
and more than 90 percent of households with children in Australia having a
computer at home," he said.

"School children also typically use a computer for substantial periods of
time each week, with many children reporting discomfort related to computer
use.

"In Australia, one in five children reported soreness at least monthly
and the soreness reported was not trivial in nature.

"Of those with soreness, one in four had to limit their activities, one
in 10 took medication and one in 20 sought health professional advice.

"The potential impact of computer use on the physical development of
children can be significant, and we hope these guidelines will form the basis
for teaching children the wise use of computers."

Professor Straker said the use of notebook computers was of particular
concern.

"External devices like mice should also be provided to children using
notebook computers at their desks," he said.

"Children should be taught proper posture when using notebooks as they
only use it at their desks 34 percent of the time.

"Other postures like lying prone, floor sitting and sitting with the
computer on their laps are very common, and alternatives to chair sitting
postures should be encouraged only if these are reasonable postures."

The new guidelines have been published in the prestigious international
journal, Ergonomics.

"We hope equipment designers and suppliers will take these guidelines
into consideration," Professor Straker said.

"Online resources for parents, teachers and children will be developed
and made available in the near future."

The full guidelines at:
www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g920118495 courtesy of
Taylor and Francis publishers.

    Contact:
    Ann Marie Lim
    +61-401-103-532
    ann.lim@curtin.edu.au

Ann Marie Lim of Curtin University of Technology, +61-401-103-532, ann.lim at curtin.edu.au