We spend so much time looking at screens. We sit and scroll through different social media platforms and then watch our favourite tv shows on the big screen. In between these two, there are office works that we constantly do for eight to nine hours staring at the computer screen.
You must have heard everybody say, looking at the screen for too long will damage your eyes but is it really true? Remember being told that sitting too close to the television or computer screen would ruin your eyesight. However, tv screen has nothing much to do with eyesight.
There are some new myths (and realities!) regarding how our vision is affected by the different size displays we stare at all day.
Eyestrain is a real thing.
Eyestrain can be caused by staring at screens for too long, although eyestrain happened long before devices. (Long-distance travelling is another factor.) Eyestrain is caused by the tiredness of the little muscles all across our eyes. And persons who suffer from it may experience headaches, fuzzy vision, watering of the eyes, and light sensitivity.
Eyestrain is usually for short period, and it can be eased if you take small breaks from your computer screen every now and then. However, if you suffer the issue frequently, you must book a visit to the doctor.
The blue light screen does not harm your eyes.
There’s a myth that blue light from cellphones (or other devices) might damage your sight, possibly vision loss. Yet there’s no evidence to support this claim. Blue light does not harm your sight. Blue light can damage cells under particular lab circumstances, according to the study. But such conditions are far different from whatever occurs in our retinal cells. We looked into this myth further here, highlighting that the AAO has stated that “blue light from digital devices does not cause you to go blind.”
However, some manufacturers use studies like this to promote their blue-light-blocking lenses or display covers. But they aren’t selling a real solution.
Blue light can have a negative impact on your health and sleep, but that isn’t simply from displays.
Screen blue light has a terrible reputation for affecting sleep. But keep in mind the rainbow facts from elementary school: blue light is merely one aspect of white light. The sun, for example, emits a lot of blue light.
Blue light-blocking glasses don’t prevent a lot of blue light; instead, they lower it little. (You can achieve the same effect by moving your screen one inch away from your face, according to experts.) Limiting screens before the night is generally a better idea. But not because the displays themselves are particularly harmful.
How to look after your vision when you’re staring at a computer screen
The rule of thumb for eye health when spending time in front of screens of any kind is the “20-20-20” rule. Taking a 20-second break every 20 minutes to look at anything 20 feet away. You could do this by gazing down the corridor or through a window. You could get up and take a short trip outside for additional aid. Providing your eyes, a variety of items to focus on prevents eyestrain by breaking up the pattern.
When we look at anything for a long period, we also move less. So if your eyes get tired from looking at a screen all day, get some eyedrops. (Look for the ones with the words “artificial tears” on them.)
