One in four parents concerned about health and vision risks associated with children watching 3D content
Study finds parents are misinformed about impact of 3D on children’s health
According to a new study regarding attitudes toward 3D content, one quarter of parents erroneously believe that watching 3D content – such as movies, television shows and video games – will harm their child’s health and/or vision.
While only 6.5 percent of parents identified that their children experienced discomfort watching 3D content, they still cited major concerns about the negative effects consuming this content had on their children’s health and vision. Of those parents who expressed concerns, the study showed:
- 70 percent believe 3D will negatively impact short-term or long-term vision
- 69 percent believe 3D will cause headaches or dizziness
- 65 percent believe 3D will cause nausea
- 64 percent believe 3D will negatively impact visual development
With the popularity of 3D showing no signs of slowing down – 49 percent of parents took their child to see a 3D movie last year, and 56 percent plan on taking them to a 3D film this coming year – survey results found that some parents are misinformed about how 3D technology actually affects vision and whether or not it causes short- or long-term damage.
“There are many misconceptions surrounding the true impact that 3D plays on a child’s health and vision,” said Dr. Justin Bazan, a VSP provider based in Brooklyn, NY. “There is no medical evidence that 3D is harmful to a child’s visual development or that it causes short- or long-term damage. To the contrary, 3D technology can actually help detect underlying vision problems, which are often the cause of the discomfort some 3D viewers experience.”
Dr. Bazan continued, “If a child has difficulty appreciating 3D effects or experiences discomfort while watching 3D, it’s a good time to take him or her to the eye doctor for a comprehensive annual eye exam. This holds true for adults, too.”