In today’s time where everything is easier with digitization, all of us tend to spend most of our time looking at digital screens either to relax at the end of our busy day, socialize with people, or do desktop jobs. We won’t even realize but daily we spend most of our time watching digital screens and this affects our lives more than we may even realise.
Too much screen time comes with certain drawbacks. Possibly, because we stare for prolonged periods at digital screens with minimum blinks of our eyes. Moreover, most of us view digital screens like a TV screen, mobile phones, or laptop/computer screens at a close distance which can be harmful to our vision.
Digital screens emit blue light that can affect our eyes in lot many ways it can contribute to eye strain, retina damage, disruption of circadian rhythm, cataracts, eye cancer, or growths covering the eye lens. The common bad impacts that we experience with prolonged screen time include eye strain/discomfort, dry eyes, headache, and insomnia (a sleep disorder).
If you feel you are inescapable from the effects of daily use of digital screens, here comes good news- you can protect your eyesight with some tips. If you take care of your eyes well, you can save money on blue light-blocking eyewear and use lubricating eye drops.
Some tips to protect your eyes from the harmful effects of excess screen time and have reduced daily screen time include:
- 20-20-20 rule- After every 20 minutes of seeing a digital screen, give your eye a 20-second break by looking at anything 20 feet away from you. This way, your eyes won’t strain and your lens will be able to refocus.
- Position your digital screen at the right distance and level– Place the screen at your arm’s length at a level slightly below your eye.
- Adjust screen settings like the size of font, brightness, and contrast level- This way the glare of the screen can be reduced and your eyes won’t get fatigued easily. The best is using eye comfort mode on your digital devices.
- Blink your eyes often- Conscience blinking of eyes while viewing a digital screen can help our eyes stay lubricated.
- Set some boundaries- Reduce the screen time which is possible at your end, especially by avoiding watching digital screens at night-time.
- Do eye exercises- This includes rolling your eyes, squeezing your eyelids shut, and then opening your eyes wide open.
- Regularly take breaks- At regular intervals step away from the screens and give your eyes some rest.