Perhaps Nintendo’s warning that children under the age of six shouldn’t play 3DS games with the 3D effect turned on was a bit over-dramatic. But don’t take my word for it; the New York Times asked eye specialists about the potential harm the handheld could cause.
“The fact you’d watch 3-D in a theater or a video game should have zero deleterious impact whatsoever,” explains Dr. Lawrence Tychsen, a professor of pediatrics and ophthalmology at Washington University in St. Louis.
Dr. David Granet, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of California at San Diego, says that while there are concerns with allowing very young children to use stimulating interactive technology in terms of their being able to focus, these concerns don’t apply to 3D and its supposed impact on eye development. Fatigue seems to be the bigger issue.
“I don’t think that parents need to worry about kids playing video games, 3-D or otherwise, from a vision perspective,” he states. “The bigger question for parents is: Do you really want your 3-year-old playing a video game?”
Eye Specialists Question Nintendo’s Warning on 3-D Technology and Children [New York Times]
