People are spending about 13 hours looking at a computer screen or other device every day. That is up from 7 to 10 hours a day before the pandemic. That trend will likely continue due to more people working remotely from home as well as many schools still offering virtual learning.
All that screen time is contributing to more blue light exposure. That has been linked to short and long term health problems like age related macular degeneration. It can also disrupt sleep cycles and cause digital eye strain.
Dr. Scott Edmonds is the chief eye care officer for UnitedHealthCare Vision and he recommends the 20-20-20 rule. He tells KLIN News, “Every 20 minutes, you should take a 20 second break and look into the distance 20 feet or further for 20 seconds. That is probably the easiest things folks can use right away. If you start doing that today, you will start feeling better tomorrow.” He also recommends keeping the device at least 30 inches from the eyes and switching to a task for which the eyes don’t have to focus on something up close. He says go outside as that may reduce the risk of developing nearsightedness, which has become increasingly common in part due to the increased use of the screen. That is impacting 41% of Americans, up from 25% in 1970.
Limit blue-light exposure by using blocking technology. That means using the night mode feature on cell phones. That adjusts the screen’s setting to filter out more blue light. There are also special screen protectors that offer blue light filtering properties. Some computer manufacturers are now embedding blue light filtering technology into their screens. Another option is to get glasses with anti-reflective coating that also helps prevent harmful reflective glare.
Dr. Edmonds says it is also good for computer users to get an eye exam every year. This may uncover other health conditions not usually associated with the eyes that include diabetes and some types of cancer. Exams are especially important for children as the screening focuses on measuring acuity levels and catch conditions such as poor eye alignment, focusing problems and farsightedness.