It’s common knowledge that too much screen time is bad for your eyesight, but in this day and age, spending hours a day looking at a screen is more common than not. In fact, the average American spends about 10 hours and 39 minutes in front of a screen every day, according to a Nielsen Company audience report in 2018. This figure has almost certainly increased, as office workers have shifted to a work-from-home set up due to the pandemic.
Prolonged digital eye strain can cause several eye conditions grouped under the term computer vision syndrome. What are the symptoms and how can you minimize digital eye strain? Scope Optometry, your local optometry clinic, shares some tips below.
How Too Much Screen Time Can Affect Your Eyes
Something as simple as watching a video or reading from a computer screen takes a lot of effort from your eye muscles. That’s because your eyes need to constantly focus and refocus while you’re working on a computer. To prevent eye strain, you need to let your eye muscles rest from time to time. However, when you’re focused on your work, it’s easy to forget to do this.
The Symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome
If you spend too much time in front of a screen, you might start to experience some of the following symptoms:
Headache
Blurred Vision
Dry eyes
Reducing Digital Eye Strain
How can you reduce digital eye strain?
Observe the 20-20-20 rule - Every 20 minutes, you should look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. You may want to set timers to remind you to take breaks every 20 minutes.
Don’t sit too close to the computer screen - Your computer screen should be 20 to 28 inches away from your face. If you constantly have to squint or move nearer to the screen to see better, you should see your eye doctor for a comprehensive eye exam. You might need eyeglasses or the prescription for your eyeglasses may have increased.
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