Lots of screen time? Good posture helps

For today's students, life is all about staring at a screen. ¶ They spend hours doing homework, playing games, chatting with friends, reading books and just hanging out -- all on computers, smart phones and e-readers or tablets. ¶ And doctors say they're starting to pay the price: in eyestrain, neck pain and wrist aches. ¶ "Kids have a limited degree of awareness, so they'll just play and play until they're exhausted," said Patricia Smith of Triangle Eye Physicians in Raleigh, N.C. "You've got to parent up and limit the amount of computer time."

But that's not always easy. The portable nature of most of those devices makes policing online time a challenge.

Tiffany Edwards of Apex, N.C., said she thought her 14-year-old son, Torin, spends two to three hours a day on his electronic devices, which include a computer, an iPhone and the iPad he got for Christmas.

Ask Torin, however, and he said it's closer to five hours a day.

He's starting to have some neck pain, but he doesn't think it is related to his iPad. His mom, however, is not so sure.

"I notice it through the day, him just wiggling his neck around trying to relieve some of the pain and things like that," she said. "I don't know what the solution is. It's not like they're not going to use the devices."

On that they can agree. Torin says he's not going to scale back his computer use.

Here are some tips to avoid problems:

Make sure your child is viewing the computer at his or her own height. A child sitting at an adult's desk will be looking up at the screen. This exposes more eye surface, increases the rate of blinking and can lead to eye fatigue more quickly.

Take note if your child is complaining of dry or itchy eyes. Sometimes kids can develop "dry eye syndrome" from staring at a screen and not blinking enough.

Watch for excessive eye rubbing. Kids who are heavy eye rubbers can actually damage their corneas.

Make sure that when your kids take breaks, they are not simply moving to another screen-related activity, like watching TV. Encourage them to go outside, play a game or do something else that does not involve a monitor to truly give their eyes a break.