Spending too many hours staring at a screen can cause eye strain. You tend to blink less while staring at the blue light from a screen, and the movement of the screen makes your eyes work harder to focus. We typically do not position the screen at an ideal distance or angle, which can cause added strain.
According to experts, staring at computers, tablets, and smartphone screens will not permanently damage your eyesight. However, doing so can cause some bothersome side effects, most notably computer vision syndrome (also called digital eye strain).
Blue Light from Phone Screens
Even the sun emits blue light. You might be more familiar with UV rays and their damaging effects. Although blue light waves aren't as powerful as UV waves, there are still many potential risks. Prolonged exposure to blue light harms vision and eye health by damaging the retina.
“While there's no strong scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eyes, there is a growing concern that blue light can have long-term effects on our health,” Dr. LaPlaca said.
Diet, smoking and excessive alcohol can all make a difference to your eyesight in the long run. Long-term effects of consuming too much alcohol can increase your risk of eye disease, including AMD and cataracts.
Eye diseases that can cause the deterioration of eyesight include macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and more. Macular degeneration is a disease that affects the retina, which is responsible for focusing images.
The American Optometric Association recommends the 20/20/20 rule: look away from the screen every 20 minutes, focus on an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds. In addition, children should walk away from the screen for at least 10 minutes every hour.
However, it is a good idea to wear non-powered anti-glare glasses, which will increase contrast, and optimize your vision while looking at digital screens for long hours.
What's a healthy amount of screen time for adults? Experts say adults should limit screen time outside of work to less than two hours per day. Any time beyond that which you would typically spend on screens should instead be spent participating in physical activity.
"Most experts agree that adults should limit screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work-related activities," Dr. Moghaddam says.
What Scientific Research Says About Blue Light Glasses. So far, research doesn't support the idea that blue light glasses can relieve digital eyestrain symptoms, such as headaches, dry eyes, or blurred vision.
Constant exposure to blue light over time could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration. It can also contribute to cataracts, eye cancer and growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye.
A new nationally representative survey of 1,058 respondents revealed the average Australian spends 150 minutes on their phone per day. The research found 1 in 6 (16%) admit to staring at their device for more than 5 hours every day – equivalent to 76 full days a year, or more than 2 months.
The average American spends over 7 hours looking at a screen each day. According to data from DataReportal, the average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes looking at a screen every day.
There is no consensus on the safe amount of screen time for adults. Ideally, adults should limit their screen time similar to children and only use screens for about two hours a day. However, many adults spend up to 11 hours a day looking at a screen.
Will Your Eyesight Become Worse If You Don't Wear Eyeglasses? Not wearing glasses will not damage your eyes; however, it might cause your vision loss symptoms to recur. Some common symptoms of farsightedness include tired eyes, headaches, and agitation.
If you were wondering whether you should wear glasses for computer work, the answer is definitely yes! Computer glasses protect your eyes from computer blue light which is harmful especially if you are exposed to it for long hours.
Increase exposure to greenery, nature, and sunlight.
Similarly, studies show exposure to sunlight can reduce attention deficit symptoms, while abundant bright light first thing in the morning can help restore disrupted circadian rhythms, improve mood, and enhance restorative sleep.
Use the 20/20/20 Rule
Your eyes aren't designed to stare all day at something directly in front of you. With the 20/20/20 rule, you give your eyes a much-needed break during long work days. If you look at the screen for 20 minutes, you must look at something at least 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds.
Take eye breaks.
Throughout the day, give your eyes a break by looking away from your monitor. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
We can't correct our vision without professional help, and there's no quick-and-easy fix for eyesight problems. But with tools such as good nutrition and diet, you can still help your eyesight naturally and on your own. As always, please discuss with your eye doctor.
Lifestyle factors are causing children's eyesight to get worse. Numerous studies have now linked increased time spent indoors focusing on near objects such as computers, TVs, mobile phones and greatly reduced outdoor activity time, as the key factors contributing to the rapid deterioration in children's eyesight.
If you have poor eyesight, a sudden improvement could be a warning sign of diabetes, the UK's Daily Express reports. High blood sugar causes fluid levels in the eyes to change, and these fluctuations can impact eyesight. So if your eyesight suddenly seems to be getting better, you should consult a doctor.
Today, teens spend almost45 hours on their phones each week. That's actually more than the average full time job. That's 2340 hours a year just staring at a tiny device. That can't be good for you right?