Computer Use

Repetitive tasks, for prolonged periods, can be harmful to adults as well as children. We all want our children to be safe. We would never have a child use the equipment in the kitchen without first teaching about cooking safety. The same methodology applies to using computer equipment. Injuries can occur when children use the computer. These injuries are known as cumulative trauma injuries, which mean that the injury occurs over time. The more time the child spends working at the computer, the more damage they do to their joints.

There are precautions parents should take when teaching children to use the computer equipment in their home or at school.

Take a “time out”: Even before turning the computer on, a child should be taught the very first rule of computer safety – take a “time out” once every thirty minutes. This means that the child should stop what they are doing, stand up, and take a nice, big stretch: reach up high, then touch the toes. It is also important to stretch the wrists, by doing wrist circles, or other exercises that will keep the wrists flexible and limber.

Chair: When a child must sit in an adult-sized chair, there are accommodations that can be made to fit the child to the space. An adjustable chair is a good purchase if people of varying heights will use the same space in the home. In most cases, the chair will need to be raised up, so the child can reach the keyboard without having to bend the elbows up. Most experts agree that the ideal position for keying is with elbows at a 90º angle or lower.

To achieve this, pillows can be placed under the child’s bottom and behind the lower back. Since the child’s feet will probably dangle in this position, you should put a footrest under the child’s feet for support.

Monitor: According to most experts, a monitor should be placed directly in front of the child, about 24 inches away. If necessary, the monitor should be tilted down, so the child does not have to tilt the head back and look up at the monitor. If you’ve ever sat in the front row of the movie theater, you know how uncomfortable it can be when you get up after watching a movie in that position.

Also, if the child will be spending time referring to printed documents or textbooks, it is a good idea to prop those documents upright, by using either a document holder or a cookbook holder. The idea with the holder is to prevent the child from having to continually look down or twist to the side while working.

Parents should watch children closely while they are working on the computer. If the child tends to squint while working, they may need to have their eyes checked for nearsightedness.

Keyboard & Mouse: Most children have small hands and using “adult-sized” keyboard and mouse can be uncomfortable for a child. Whenever practical, parents should invest in “child-sized” versions of the keyboard and mouse. Most experts agree that if a parent were to invest in only one of these items, it should be the mouse, since younger children probably spend most of their time mousing. Also, since most kids don’t know proper typing technique until they are much older, an “adult-sized” keyboard may suffice for those who only “hunt and peck” at the keys.