U.S. media reports 3-D TVhealth risks

The U.S. media has highlighted health risks related to excessive exposure to 3-D television at home, warning that it could negatively impact eyesight, especially among children.

Citing expert opinions, NBC said kids’ eyes continue to develop until the age of 10, meaning the way their eyes learn to focus could be altered by too much 3-D vision.

Another issue was the difference in the 3-D technology used at home and in theaters.

Jennifer Madan Cohen, a pediatric neurologist, told NBC that “the 3-D technology that is coming out for home use is a little more worrisome for people because it uses this active system which turns on and off, sort-of flashes in front of a person’s eyes and that can be what’s often provoking for seizures,“ she explains.

The active “shutter-glass” system is being used by Samsung Electronics, a global TV manufacturing leader.

LG Electronics, its biggest rival, however, has switched to film-type patterned retarder technology, which is said to have eliminated many of the negative side-effects such as the flickering that Cohen pointed out.

NBC said the potential side-effects were why television makers such as Samsung issue warnings to users to exercise caution when watching 3-D TV.

Experts said the best way to reduce the problem was to stay further away from the TV or screen, and keep the lights on while watching 3-D vision.

“They should have lights on in the room because it’s the contrast of the flashing light that can be a problem. So if they’re really in a dim room and it’s a bright flash, that would be the kind of stimulus that could provoke a seizure,” she told NBC.

But because 3-D television is still new ― it took off only last year ― experts added that it was too soon to know exactly how 3-D vision affects viewers.

By Kim Ji-hyun and news reports  (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)