With more people working from home and more electronics in households now than ever, we need to consider the effects of screen time on our eye health. If you work with electronics daily or partake in screen time after work or class, start practicing these habits to keep your eyes healthy. Find out how blue light and screen time can have a major effect on your eyesight.
Use the 20-20-20 Rule
A good method for preventing eye strain is to practice the 20-20-20 rule, which gives your eyes a break from your computer screen or other electronics throughout the day. All you need to do is look at an object or person that’s 20 feet away for a span of 20 seconds. Perform this for every 20 minutes of screen time.
Additionally, if you go over 2 hours of continuous screen usage, give your eyes a 15-minute break in between these extended periods. This habit can reduce eye tiredness, strain, and dryness after a long day of screen time.
Combat Blue Light
Many studies have found blue light to be harsh and potentially harmful to the eyes, which is concerning considering the amount of time we spend on our electronics. Blue light disrupts our natural sleep patterns and may keep us up at night. Further studies show that blue light exposure can cause digital eye strain and even damage to the retinas.
You can combat these risks of blue light exposure in several ways. Invest in a pair of blue light–blocking glasses and wear them on your screen-heavy days. Also try exploring your electronics’ settings to see if they have blue light dimming functions. These will automatically set the screen temperature to a warmer yellow or red tone at a certain time of day, such as before bed.
Practice Good Posture and Use Good Lighting
When using electronics, we often forget about good posture and proper lighting. The ambient lighting in the room shouldn’t be too bright or too dark, as both settings can cause you to strain your eyes. Your monitor, phone screen, or TV screen should be at least an arm’s length away from you. It’s best to keep these screens at eye level to avoid neck and back pain.
Eye strain and dry eyes are two of the most common forms of eye disorders, and if you want to avoid them, practice these habits to keep your eyes healthy. Screen time can have a big effect on eyesight, especially in young children, so remember these tips to protect your own eyes as well as your family’s eye health.
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