Computer eye strain can hit you at any age

When getting the kids ready for school, are you checking those lunch pails along with your kids' eyesight? We often think of computer-related eyestrain as pertaining to adults in the corporate workforce -- but kids can have it also.

It's estimated that 50 percent of kids in the U.S. spend at least four hours in front of a computer screen each day, but only about 16 percent of parents are concerned that such long exposures to computer screens could be hurting their kids' eyes.

Are the computer workstations at home suited for the use of smaller kids? Do they have to look up at the screen when they use it, and are the keyboards and mice reachable? In other words, your home computer should acclimate to adult and child use if at all possible. I recently visited an elementary school that had a computer lab setup for fifth graders -- but with second graders using the lab also, they were all straining to use the systems. Not good.