London - Children who spend more than 30 minutes on their iPads in one sitting could be sowing the seeds for chronic neck and back pain later in life, experts have warned.
Researchers suggest hunching over electronic devices at a young age can entrench bad habits that trigger serious trouble in joints and muscles in adulthood.
Stephanie Cassidy, a Melbourne-based occupational therapist, warned that children should be limited to using them for just half an hour at a time after Australia’s Curtin University found that more than 40 percent of parents admitted they let their children spend hours on gadgets to keep them “calm and happy”.
Research fellow Pieter Coenen will present the preliminary results at the International Ergonomics Association congress in Melbourne next month. He said: “The behaviours [children] develop early in life can cause musculoskeletal issues later on.”
Cassidy said that she limits her own daughter’s use of tablets and laptops. She added: “If she is using them in bed or on the couch, I’m often saying, ‘Use cushions to support yourself.’ Everything points towards a maximum of 30 minutes, then we should be moving again.
“If kids start reporting neck and back pain, these are often a sign that your body is not coping with what you’re putting it through.”
Last month, clinical psychologist Linda Blair warned that children should not be allowed to use phones and iPads before school because it can damage their concentration in class.
Daily Mail