5 tips for healthy eyes in a digital world
From computers at work to laptops at home and of course, our trusty tablets and smartphones, it’s clear that we’re living in a digital world. No, we know that staring at brightly lit screens for extended periods of times isn’t good for our eyes but in many cases it’s unavoidable. So if you can’t cut the cord completely, here are five ways to help your eyes when using digital devices.
Adjust the angle of the screen - Whether you’re at the computer for work or typing up your memoirs to the wee hours of the night, make sure you adjust your computer screen or laptop for optimal eye health. You should be sitting around 60cm (two standard rulers) from the screen with the centre around 12cm below your eyes. When you look at your screen, you should be looking slightly downwards.
Change the brightness – Eye strain is often a result from bad lighting either too bright or too low. Adjust the brightness and contrast levels on your digital device to find a level that is comfortable for your eyes. You shouldn’t have to strain to see clearly.
Think about lighting – It’s not just your device’s lighting that could be hurting your eyes but the room you are working in as well. Make sure you are in a well-lit room at night or draw the curtains for natural lighting if you’re on your device during the day. However, try not to have any light shining directly on your screen as the glare can hurt eyes. Position your screens to reduce reflections from other light sources.
Enlarge text size – On almost all digital devices you adjust the size of the text so you don’t have to squint to read. Find out how on to on your phone here.
Take a break – The best way to keep eyes healthy is to take frequent breaks from your digital device. Just remember 20/20/20 – every 20 minutes look at least 20 feet (six metres) away for 20 seconds.