Article
Screens in the car: myopia, sleep and travel sickness
On a six-hour drive, a tablet can be the difference between a calm car and a miserable one. It also comes with three separate costs, documented in different bodies of research. Seeing them side by side makes the decision easier.
Cost one: eyesight
A systematic review and meta-analysis in The Lancet Digital Health examined the association between digital smart-device use and myopia (short-sightedness) [3]. This is research on screen use in general, not in cars, and an association is not proof of cause. For a family that drives long distances often, though, the hours add up.
Cost two: sleep
A study examined sleep duration in preschool children and the impact of screen time [11]. On road trips this matters most for evening arrivals, when a child who has spent the last few hours on a tablet then has to settle in an unfamiliar bed. The site's page on car naps and bedtime covers the other half of that problem.
Cost three: travel sickness
Looking at a close, still screen while the body feels the car's motion is a classic trigger for travel sickness in susceptible children, because what the eyes report and what the inner ear reports do not match. This site's travel sickness page covers that mechanism and what helps.
Three separate costs
| Concern | Evidence | Specific to car journeys? |
|---|---|---|
| Myopia | Meta-analysis of smart-device use and myopia | No, general screen use |
| Shorter sleep | Study of screen time and sleep in preschool children | No, general screen use |
| Travel sickness | Mechanism covered on this site's travel sickness page | Yes |
Ways to keep the benefit and cut the cost
- Plan screen-free stretches and use the stops you are already making (see how often to stop) to break up screen time.
- For children prone to travel sickness, prefer audio such as stories, music or podcasts over screens.
- Wind down screen use in the last part of an evening drive if bedtime follows soon after arrival.
Common questions
Do screens in the car cause myopia?
Should screens be banned on long drives?
Is there a safe number of minutes?
What is the best alternative for a child who gets car sick?
Related reading
- Travel sickness in children: what works
- How often should you stop on a long drive?
- Car naps and bedtime on a long family drive
Referanser
Hver henvisning nedenfor lenker til den originale fagfellevurderte artikkelen på PubMed eller via DOI. Ingenting her er en erstatning for medisinsk råd.
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