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Is technology injuring our kids?

Harwood said that it's not easy to measure RSI symptoms and then link them to a particular activity. Most research is conducted through surveys, he said, and kids don't fair well filling out such questionnaires. He stated, however, that there have been many studies in adults that show a relationship between computer use and RSI, and that could correlate to children. There's a need to track children's use of technology over time so as to measure future effect, he said.

"There's a lot of work that still needs to be done in this area," he said. Hours and hours each day

The potential dangers are associated with several trends. One, of course, is the ubiquity of computers, mobile phones, text messaging, instant messaging, social networking and whatever the next technological fad might be. More than 80 per cent of American kids age 12 to 17 use the Internet, and more than half of those kids log on daily, according to a Pew Internet and American Life study.

Kids nowadays can spend hours cradling a mobile phone with a crooked neck, slumping over a computer game, slouching in front of a PC while text messaging friends and listening to music. That's on top of time they might spend in school on a PC surfing the Web to research topics and do homework.

Experts are particularly concerned about the ergonomics of PC setups in schools because many computer labs are designed with a one-size-fits-all approach. Children might not have chairs suited to them or computer screens at eye-level that help avoid common repetitive strain.

College and secondary-school kids could once be found on a bed or couch reading a book for school. Now, studies are happening more on the computer, adding hours to sitting at the PC.

The state of Maine in the US, for example, has mandated that all school kids be equipped with a computer. Microsoft, too, has donated computers to schools. Yet many such initiatives don't include programs to teach children how to use those computers properly to avoid injury, experts say.

"We'll have trouble; then we'll accommodate to it," said Dr. Stephen Nicholas, director of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma.

Karen Lunda, another physical therapist, said when it comes to children, people consider the developmental vulnerabilities they're prone to in many activities. For example, the bowler in cricket is restricted in how many innings he or she can bowl to avoid arm injury. The same might be warranted for computer use, she said. Perhaps, she added, kids should be forced to take a break every 1,000 keystrokes.

"It's something to examine because if we don't, boy, we're going to have a huge problem as they get older," she said.

Except for a few initiatives, very little has been done to protect children from computer injury and teach them good habits like regular breaks, posture and stretches, experts say. At least one company, Magnitude, has developed software for schools called Ergo Fun. Cornell has also developed downloadable software that teaches kids the principles of PC ergonomics. "If you teach children the principles of good ergonomics for using computers when they're young, then those will become habits to protect them throughout their life," said Cornell's Hedge.

For now, the Perkins boys show no signs of repetitive stress from mouse or joystick use, according to their mother, who said that's likely because she and her husband do their best to limit game play.

"I'm not sure about the long-term effects," Perkins said.