Looking After Your Eyes in the Screen Age
Technology continues to have a profound
effect on every aspect of our lives, with computers and other devices used for
work, play, and everything in-between. Whether it's a desktop computer at work,
a laptop at home, or a smartphone during your daily commute, people are
spending more time staring at computer screens each and every year. Excessive
screen time is known to have a negative effect, with digital eye strain
increasingly recognised as a serious health issue. Whether you suffer from
headaches, blurred vision, or eye twitching, there are lots of ways to look
after your eyes in the screen age.
Creating links between screen time and eye
health can be a complex and tenuous undertaking. While computer screens and
digital devices can affect our eyes in a number of different ways, screen use
itself is unlikely to cause permanent damage. However, despite the lack of
evidence surrounding long-term damage, digital eye strain is a recognised
condition that continues to affect more people each year. According to the
Vision Council, 59 percent of people who use computers and digital devices on a
regular basis experience symptoms of digital eye strain, which is also called
computer eye strain or computer vision syndrome.
The technology used in computer screens can
be problematic, with some users sensitive to pulse width modulation (PWM),
excessive brightness, and colour saturation. Slow PWM can cause eye strain due
to screen flicker, small or bright screens can lead to focusing problems, and
too many blues and cool colours can affect sleep patterns. If you struggle with
any of these issues, there are solutions. Monitors with fast undetectable PWM
are available on the market, as are monitors that use the alternative method of
direct current control. Brightness and colour issues can also be easily
managed, with most modern computers and devices allowing you to alter
brightness along with the cool-warm colour spectrum.
While the technology used in computer
monitors and mobile phone screens can cause problems for some people, the
habits we form around screen use are the real cause of most eye complaints.
Digital eye strain is mostly the result of too much time staring at screens and
not enough breaks. While our eyesight evolved jumping between different areas
and lengths of focus, modern people often spend the majority of their day
focusing on the same distance. In order to reduce focusing fatigue, you should
look away from your computer every 10-20 minutes and gaze at objects at various
distances.
Along with taking frequent breaks and
mixing up your focus, you should also spend some time setting up your work area
and operating system. Use proper lighting, upgrade your monitor, and position
your monitor level with or just below your eyes. Along with changing the screen
brightness and colour temperature, you can also adjust the font size and
overall resolution. Lifestyle factors can also have a positive effect on your
eye health, so drink lots of water, eat healthy food, and exercise regularly to
compensate for the sedentary effects of the modern screen age.
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