How computer screens might be hurting your eyes

As technology becomes increasingly common in our daily lives, it's no surprise that we're spending more and more time staring at screens. Whether we're working on a computer, scrolling through social media on our phones, or binge-watching our favorite shows on a tablet, it's likely that we're spending several hours a day looking at screens. 

But all that screen time can take a toll on our eyes and vision over time.  Luckily, it’s not all doom and gloom, there are several ways to protect your eyes from screens.  

The problem with screens 

First, let's talk about how screens affect our eyes.  

When we look at a screen, we tend to blink less often than we normally would. On average, you should be blinking anywhere from 15-20 times a minute but when you’re focusing those blinks per minute go way down. Normally, this is a good thing, blinking less allows you to focus more and be more efficient when analyzing things.  

Unfortunately, our eyes weren’t built to focus on tiny digital screens for 8 hours a day, every day, forever.  This often leads to dry eyes, a condition in which the eyes don't produce enough tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. Dry eyes can cause discomfort, irritation, and even vision problems. 

Screens can also cause eye strain, which is a type of fatigue that can lead to symptoms like headache, blurred vision, dry eyes, and neck and shoulder pain. This is due in part to the fact that screens emit blue light, which has been shown to suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. As a result, staring at screens before bed can disrupt our sleep patterns and lead to fatigue. 

But it's not just blue light that can be harmful to our eyes. The glare from screens can also cause problems. Glare can cause eyestrain and make it difficult to see the screen clearly, which can lead to fatigue and reduced productivity. 

The simple truth is, our eyes weren’t built for digital screens and they were not built for our eyes. This coupled with the fact that screens are almost mandatory parts of everyday life now means that finding ways to protect your eyes from fatigue and dryness will be essential to happy, healthy eyes.  

How to protect your eyes from computer screens? 

So, what can we do to protect our eyes from the negative effects of screens? We’re so glad you asked.  

Blue light lenses  

One solution is to invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses. These glasses are designed to filter out blue light, which can help reduce the risk of dry eye, eye strain, and disrupted sleep patterns. Our friends over at Liingo Eyewear can help you find the perfect pair. 

Your computer set up 

There’s a factor of ergonomics to consider when trying to protect your eyes.  

The distance between your eyes and your screen can have a big impact on how strained your eyes feel. In most instances you’ll want to make sure your computer screen is between 15 and 30 inches from your eyes, sitting below or at eye level, and tilted slightly away from you.  

You’ll also want to consider glare; it should be reduced as much as possible to stop your eyes from putting in additional work. This can easily be done by removing light sources that sit behind you or repositioning your office environment to have a window behind your computer screen.  

the 20-20-20 rule, rules  

Your best line of defense against eye strain and fatigue is the 20-20-20 rule. Set a timer for every 20 minutes, when that goes off take 20 seconds to stare at something at least 20 feet away.  

This is also a good chance to stand up, get some steps in, and recenter before diving back into work. We know it sounds too simple to be helpful, but we promise, it’ll make a huge difference in how tired your eyes feel at the end of the day.  

What about all the other digital screens? 

This is where it can get tricky.  

Other screens are often associated with leisure activities and therefore the use of these screens is much more relaxed. The best approach for these smaller screens that invade our daily lives is to simply be aware of them. Passively engaging with content through screens is usually how eye strain or fatigue happens, being mindful of the time you spend on these devices can significantly help reduce their impact.   

Instead of mindlessly scrolling on TikTok until 2:00 AM (guilty), set a timer on your phone to close TikTok around your bedtime. If you’re going to be using your phone before bed, make sure the nightlight settings are active or you have a red screen filter set up to stop blue light from impacting your sleeping schedule.  

Also, try not to hold your phone/tablet less than 5 inches from your nose, this will give your eyes a much-needed break from intense focusing. Small things go a long way in reducing passive screen time and should help you keep happy, healthy peepers.