What harm do virtual reality glasses do to the eyesight and the body? You might also like it.

Today, many cinemas use 3D technology... This technology is completely new, so it remains to be seen what its effect on the child's vision and health is. However, there are already some known negative factors that alarming many parents. For example, even in adults, after watching a movie in special glasses, dizziness, nausea, eyes get tired and hurt. Some people may even experience temporary loss of vision. What will happen to the children then?

What is the secret of 3D technology?

the effect 3D image appears only after a person puts on special glasses, each lens of which blocks a certain part of the image. For this reason, the eyes see different images. In other words, it turns out something similar to the split frame that a cross-eyed person often sees. In this case, the brain combines two incomplete images, as a result of which the illusion of a three-dimensional image appears.

The 3D projector moves first to the left eye image and then to the right eye image. This changeover occurs at a rate of 144 times per second. It happens so fast that brain does not have time to notice this transition.

The 3D image is a heavy load on vision and the brain of a child. The baby's eyes and head have to work very well for the baby to see the 3D picture.

Who is not allowed to watch 3D movies?

Experts say that such films are contraindicated. childrenwho have various diseases eyes and vision abnormalities. If a baby sees well in one eye and the other poorly, he or she has squint or another eye disease, in no case take the child to watch a 3D movie.

Also, these films are not recommended for overly impressionable kids who are afraid of loud sounds and unexpected movements. If the child has disease spine, you should also refuse a 3D movie session. This is explained by the fact that such babies have impaired blood flow, so the flow of blood to the parts of the brain that are responsible for vision is not enough. And this greatly complicates the functioning of the brain.

Go to the cinema for a 3D film session.

If you nevertheless decide to visit a cinema with 3D technology with your child, make sure that glasses children to watch the movie were intact and without scratches. These defects can cause headaches, eye strain, nausea, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Children's glasses are the best option because eyes the child is located at a shorter distance from each other than the adult. Therefore, adult glasses will be uncomfortable and may damage your eyesight.

It is certainly desirable that parents picked up glasses for the kid individually. Before the child puts them on, be sure to wipe them with antibacterial wipes so that the baby does not catch any eye infection that is transmitted through objects common use.

During the session, parents should closely monitor the child. If he takes off his glasses, scratches his eyes, his behavior is alarming, it is necessary to end the session and exit cinema hall.

Child psychologists are sure that 3D films harm a child due to negative effects on the eyes and an incompletely developed brain. After such a film, the child cannot immediately return to reality, because the world filled with illusion is so interesting and unusual. If you are not sure if your baby has a strong psyche, do not put him in danger.

Before watching the movie, explain to your child that the entire movie is a fantasy, an illusion, an invented world. And after completion, discuss all the details, answer the child's questions, emphasizing that the real world is different. Yes, and of course, choose only children for viewing filmsand cartoons, without cruelty, violence and horror.

People learned how to convey knowledge and emotions using 2D technologies in ancient times - it all started with rock art. Sharing physical sensations turned out to be much more difficult. However, in the 19th century, after the invention of stereography by Sir David Brewster, similar experiments began in the field of photography, and then cinematography.

Technology and perception

To date, there are different ways to add volume to a moving image on the screen. Manufacturers produce several types of monitors that allow you to see a 3D image.

Stereoscopic - they form separate pictures for each eye, this is the most ancient principle of 3D video.

Anaglyph method - the left and right images are projected onto one screen by two projectors. One projector is supplied with a blue light filter, the other - a red one. Spectators watch the movie with glasses, with the same red and blue filters, but put in reverse order. As a result, one color is subtracted by another, and separation of images is achieved.

The polarizing method is used in modern 3D films intended for screening in cinemas. With this technology, frames are alternately alternated for the viewer's eyes. The total frequency is 48 frames per second, but each eye sees only the usual 24 frames. This is achieved with the help of a special filtering device installed in the cinema projector, as well as with the help of glasses with special light filters. Thus, the information coming to the brain from two eyes is out of sync - never before the eyes and the human brain had to perceive and process such unusual information.

Autostereoscopic - do not require additional accessories such as stereo glasses and virtual reality helmets.

Holographic screens simulate the placement of light waves in space as if they were reflected from a real three-dimensional object.

3D monitors use so-called voxels instead of pixels, physical properties which allow you to see the stereo image. Volumetric monitors can add a picture from many planes located one above the other, or they can from flat panels that rotate in space and thus create a three-dimensional effect.

When movies are sick

There are heated discussions on the Internet and in the offices of scientists about whether watching films in 3D is harmful to health. The opinions are different. For example, Sony has commissioned an independent study in this area. No negative effects were found from stereoscopic cinema. However, many viewers, leaving the cinema or turning off the stereo monitor, feel headache, nausea, dizziness and disorientation in space. This worried the company's specialists, and a warning appeared in the manual for the 3D video games of the PlayStation® series: "You should immediately stop playing if you feel tension, eye strain or nausea." Sony also advises keeping children under 6 years old from 3D.

“The duration and frequency of the necessary breaks for relaxation and rest from 3D is individual. During the break, all unpleasant sensations should disappear. If they persist, consult a doctor, ”Sony recommends.

About the danger for pregnant women, people old age and children are also warned by Samsung, however, the age of the children does not indicate. On the advice of the company's specialists, parents should monitor the well-being of their children and move them away from the screen at a safe distance.

Regarding pregnant women, Patrick O'Brien, consultant obstetrics at University College London, counters: “I have no information that pregnant women feel worse than others after watching 3D. I believe that the baby is well protected in the womb. " An unborn child, of course, cannot watch 3D video. However, isn't the mother's nervous excitement dangerous for the baby? After all, we can assume that it is the brain that is the most susceptible target organ for the harmful effects of stereoscopic cinema? There are no answers to these questions yet. Scientists probably have yet to investigate this terra incognita.

It is also unclear how high the risk of seizures after viewing 3D in people with epilepsy is. Staff at the British Epilepsy Center believe that due to the lack of information, it is too early to talk about the effect of stereokinov on their patients - too little research has been done.

French statistics news portal lesnumeriques.com is this:

• 33% of respondents watch 3D video without any problems;
• 27% feel some discomfort;
• 22% complain of a deterioration in their health;
• 7% experience severe headache;
• 11%, after watching a 3D movie, note other symptoms of a deterioration in well-being.

3D Viewing Safety

Samsung South Korea has posted an article on its website warning that 3D video is not as secure as it would like. Here are a few points from their research:

• Flickering images of 3D games and videos can trigger seizures in people with epilepsy. If anyone in your family suffers from this disease, it is better to consult a doctor before using 3D technology.
• You should immediately stop viewing stereo images and consult a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms: visual impairment, headache, dizziness, involuntary twitching of the eye or other muscles, inability to concentrate, nausea, loss of consciousness, convulsions, spasms, disorientation in space.
• 3D viewing can also cause muscle weakness, eye strain, and body balance disturbance. To reduce the likelihood unwanted effects, take frequent breaks while watching 3D. If you feel at least one of the listed symptoms, stop viewing immediately and do not resume it until the unpleasant sensation has passed.
• It is not recommended to watch 3D if you are not feeling well, want to sleep or have had an alcoholic drink.
• Viewing movies close to the screen can damage your eyesight. The optimal distance is the height of the viewer multiplied by 3. The eyes should be at the level of the monitor.
• Watching 3D video with polarized glasses can lead to fatigue and headaches. In such cases, you should stop watching and rest.
• Do not use polarizing glasses for purposes other than 3D viewing. Their application as protective, solar, etc. can cause significant damage to health.
• Viewing 3D may cause confusion in some people. Keep the TV away from stairs, wires, balconies, or other potentially hazardous locations.

3D video and our eyes

LG Electronics warns of possible harm to the eyes of 3D in children under 5 years of age. Other manufacturers hardly mention the potential for visual impairment at all. What do doctors say about the impact of the new technology on the organs of vision?

Roger Phelps, a California optometrist, says: “Regular viewing of 3D has no adverse effects on the eyes. However, if you feel a headache, dizziness, nausea or other unpleasant symptoms, it is better to consult an ophthalmologist. "

Ophthalmologist Norman Safra from New York says: “People who have consumed alcohol lose some of their eye muscle control and may find it difficult to view 3D. And when they take off their polarized glasses, even going downstairs becomes a problem for them. "

Our compatriot Sergei Tuboltsev, an ophthalmologist of the highest category, an employee of the Amurlazer Eye Microsurgery Center of the AOKB, says: "I do not know for certain that after watching a movie with 3D glasses, some people had vision problems."

It turns out that the unwanted symptoms that most often appear when viewing 3D are associated more with the work of the brain than with visual impairment. If you believe the doctors, then we can be calm for our eyes if we do not drink alcohol before watching a voluminous video (if we drink, then the eye muscles tighten more). The headache and nausea associated with the brain does not make it any less unpleasant, though.

It is difficult to figure out who is right and who is not, in this boiling cauldron of contradictory judgments. Having made any specific conclusion, we risk becoming hostages of trade and market relations. After all, it is possible that those who claim that 3D is safe are financially interested in promoting new technologies to the market. On the contrary, their opponents may well be screaming about the health risk, because they do not want to eliminate film-based video in theaters while it generates income. At the same time, autostereoscopic monitors, as representatives of 3D, fall under a hail of accusations, although there is still no concrete and substantiated data that such screens cause undesirable consequences.

Do not forget that the introduction of new technologies has always put consumers on guard. The advent of trains, cars, and, more recently, cell phones has generated a storm of criticism. Nevertheless, these devices have taken root, are constantly being improved and have been beneficial to us for many years. Maybe with 3D video it will turn out exactly the same?

We can only hope that specific safety and quality standards will soon be developed and implemented for various 3D formats, which will allow viewers to enjoy 3D images on the screen without compromising their health.

After watching 3D movies, every third person gets sick. Someone starts to have a headache, the second gets nauseous, and the third has severe dizziness... What is the reason for this and is it worth worrying about in such cases? Let's see what the experts think about it.

Are virtual reality glasses harmful? Most doctors believe that they cannot harm the eyes. According to California-based optometrist Roger Phelps, regular viewing of stereofilms does not affect vision in any way. And the candidate of medical sciences Tatiana Vovk is sure that 3D glasses are the same accessory as sun glasses. You don't need to be afraid of them, but you shouldn't abuse them either.

Curious!

Do virtual reality glasses damage your eyesight? Previously, doctors argued a lot on this topic. But in the course of independent scientific research, it turned out that there is no cause for concern.

By the way, Sony, LG and Samsumg confidently declare that 3D glasses do not harm the eyes. Moreover, for most people they are absolutely safe. If you use glasses for their intended purpose and follow basic precautions, there is no point in worrying.

But if 3D glasses cannot be harmful to health, then where do nausea, headache and other annoying symptoms come from? You'd be right to ask such a logical question. And here the fun begins. The reason lies in the technologies for the production of stereoscopic films and the peculiarities of our brain.

3D technologies

Modern films for screenings in cinemas are shot using the polarization method. In such videos, frames change at a rate of 48 / second. During viewing, both eyes receive different pictures (24 per second each). This is what makes it possible to achieve stereoscopic, that is, deep perception.

In addition to polarizing, there are other methods of producing 3D films:

anaglyphic;

bolt;

interference filter technology;

pulfrik effect;

autostereoscopic.

Man with healthy eyes sees the world as three-dimensional. This is possible thanks to binocular vision and complex mechanisms adaptations that provide it. Under normal conditions, the same image is projected on the retinas of both eyes. Already in the brain, the two images merge into one. The visual cortex processes the information received, due to which a person sees a three-dimensional picture.

In the case of TVs and projectors, this mechanism does not work. Since the image on the screens turns out to be flat, our brain perceives it as such. However, filmmakers have found a way to achieve depth. They do this with a filter device in a movie projector and special glasses with a light filter. And, of course, transmission of frames at double speed - 48 per second.

As you know, in a normal video, pictures change at a rate of 24 / second. Our brains are used to it. But it is difficult for him to process 48 frames per second, as well as to put up with the fact that each eye “delivers” different visual information to it. For many people, such an intense load on the brain provokes the appearance of unpleasant symptoms.

Curious!

As a rule, discomfort appears only when watching 3D video with glasses and helmets with light filters. Films shot using other technologies do not cause discomfort.

3D glasses quality

At the beginning of the article, we figured out the effect of 3D glasses on vision. They do not harm the eyes, do not create any radiation, and even more so do not damage the retina. Therefore, wearing them is absolutely safe.

But let's not forget that in the cinema we most often wear common glasses. And now they can be of poor quality and even dangerous. The fact is that such products do not undergo the required processing. Therefore, while wearing them, you can become infected and get sick with conjunctivitis, keratitis or other infectious disease.

Advice!

If you go to the movies often, buy your own 3D glasses. It's cheaper than renting them every time. Moreover, this way you protect yourself from dangerous infections... Of course, the risk of getting infected is low. But the risk is still not worth it.

Public glasses may have poor-quality, faded and in places worn coverage. And on their lenses, you can find a lot of scratches and small defects. Of course, this won't make the 3D glasses harmful to the eyes. But they can spoil the pleasure of watching a movie! So go to the movies with your pair of glasses. Believe me, this way you will avoid many problems.

Possible reactions to a 3D image

Children, hyperexcitable people, and people who are depressed have the worst tolerance for 3D video. Drinking men and women react badly to it. While watching stereofilms, the brain of these people works even more actively, which is why they soon become unwell.

The most common symptoms are:

headache;

• slight disorientation;

  dizziness;

  temporary deterioration in vision;

  feeling tired;

  slight twitching of the muscles;

  muscle weakness.

Advice!

When alarming symptoms pause or stop watching the movie. If unpleasant sensations appear regularly and cause you a lot of discomfort, feel free to go to a doctor's consultation.

Note that some people watch 3D video is undesirable and even dangerous. Moreover, hobby for stereofilms can have extremely serious consequences for them. For example, a person with epilepsy may have a seizure during a video session.

Contraindications for wearing 3D glasses:

epilepsy;

severe vegetative-vascular dystonia;

serious mental disorders;

lack of full binocular vision;

some types of strabismus.

People with poor eyesight ophthalmologists do not allow 3D glasses to be worn over diopter glasses. Doctors advise such patients to purchase contact lenses and go to the cinema in them.

Curious!

According to American scientists, 5-12% of the population suffers from stereo blindness. People with this condition are unable to perceive 3D video. The main causes of stereo blindness are strabismus and anisometropia (different visual acuity of the two eyes).

Are glasses harmful to children

According to LG Electronics, 3D video can harm babies under 5. Sony recommends that children under 6 years of age be protected from viewing it.

At an older age, a child can watch 3D films in metered quantities and from a safe distance. The same applies to computer games, during which children need to wear glasses or a helmet with a light filter.

Precautionary measures

In order not to harm your health, use the 3D glasses wisely. Use them only for their intended purpose and never replace sunglasses, welding or other goggles. Be sure to shoot them right after the movie ends.

If you are watching a video at home, sit at a safe distance from the screen. The optimal distance between the eyes and the TV is 5-6 meters. When it comes to watching stereo movies on your phone, avoid it at all costs.

And one more thing ... Immediately after the end of the video session, try not to go to the balcony, staircase and other dangerous places. Remember that disorientation may cause you to trip over wires or fall off steps. So be careful and take care of yourself!

3d is a relatively new technology, and its effect on vision and psyche is still poorly understood. But some moments are alarming now.

Some moviegoers reported dizziness, nausea, eye fatigue and even temporary loss of vision after watching. There are also sadder cases. So after watching the film "Avatar" a man died. Doctors said that the cause of the accident in this case was a sharp increase in blood pressure.

Therefore, parents are quite reasonably concerned about the question,?

Let's first understand a little what the technology itself is.

In Soviet times, there were cinemas where you could watch films with a stereo effect. But 3d is a slightly different technology. The main difference is that the stereo effect was achieved by projecting an image to both eyes at the same time, while 3d does this for each eye separately.

To get a 3D image, human brain information is needed from both eyes, because each of them perceives the same picture from different angles. Having received an image from both eyes, the brain processes the information and allows you to see one common picture in all its depth.

3d technology is also based on this principle. Pictures are shown for each eye separately, each side has its own angle. The frames are replaced with a high frequency and in order to see the stereo image in all its brilliance, the eyes have to do a serious job.

At the same time, when we consider a real volumetric object, our gaze is directed, as it were, inward, feeling the object. The 3d effect is to create the illusion of volume, and when we look at such an illusory volumetric object, the eyes take the same position, but different muscles are involved.

Such a contradiction is a strong load on the brain, let alone the eyes. Now imagine that the child's eye is even more fragile, as it is just at the stage of development. Even under normal conditions, a child is able to perceive not all images correctly until the age of 5, when the eye is more or less formed, and such loads may be beyond his capacity.

Eye microsurgery specialists explicitly state that 3d movies for kids can be dangerous, in particular, lead to pathology of development of the organs of vision.
It is not yet known what child psychologists say about this, but the question is seriously studied by these specialists.

Aside from possible problems with psyche and vision, some are already known for sure, which concern not only children, but also adults.

Firstly, it is not recommended to watch 3d films for those who have serious visual impairments, for example, one eye sees much worse than the other, there is a squint, others eye diseases... Even if such people do not feel unwell while watching, there is a risk that they simply will not see the stereo image.

Also, serious concerns are caused by viewing by 3d people with an unbalanced psyche. Experts say that such images put a strong load on the cerebral cortex, which can aggravate the condition of patients in this category.

Oddly enough, 3D is not recommended for people with spinal diseases (osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis). This is due to the fact that such people already have significantly impaired blood flow, and blood flow to the visual areas of the brain is insufficient, which in turn leads to strokes.

It seems that this applies primarily to adults, but it is worth considering, suffering from these diseases.

Glasses are required to watch 3D movies, they make the perception of the stereo effect possible. Here, too, some problems are seen. High-quality glasses should not change the degree of illumination of the image, darken it. Experts believe that such a defect can also lead to headaches, eye strain, nausea and other troubles.

And if you do decide to go to such a session, carefully examine your glasses. It is especially picky to choose 3d glasses for kids.

In addition to changing the lighting, you need to pay attention to the integrity of the glasses. Even small ones are not allowed. At best, you will not be able to enjoy the effect of volume, at worst you will develop visual impairment.

Many cinemas issue standard medium-sized glasses, but there are also those where 3 types of glasses are available:, and 3d glasses for kids... This point should be clarified before going to the cinema. After all, the distance between the eyes of a child is much less than that of an adult, which means that he will not only be uncomfortable in such glasses, but they can also harm him.

Experts generally advise having your own glasses, especially 3d glasses for kids... Firstly, you will be sure of their quality, secondly, you will be able to size convenient for you and, thirdly, protect yourself from possible eye infections, which, whatever one may say, can be transmitted through common objects.

If you don't have your glasses, it is wise to purchase disinfectants with which you need to wipe those issued at the cinema.

But back to the specific question:. Here experts are unanimous: you can arrange a holiday for your child, but at the same time fulfilling a number of conditions.

As mentioned, choose carefully 3d glasses for kids... It is best if they are special, small in size.

It is better not to take a toddler who is not yet 5 years old to the session, most likely you will have to leave a few minutes after you start watching.

Closely monitor the child's condition during the session. If you see him periodically takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes, or hear complaints about bad feeling, it is better to leave the cinema immediately. You can't get away with simply removing the glasses, since without glasses the image on the screen will be of poor quality.

If the child has well tolerated the session, do not rush to repeat it. As already stated 3d movies for kids - a serious load, primarily on vision. Therefore, rare hikes can really be a holiday, while excessive hobby can harm your health.

Alexandra Panyutina
Women's magazine JustLady