Well, with finals season approaching, it won't be a surprise that many of our screen times will increase by a few hours... or maybe more than a few hours. And with this comes the prolonged staring at a screen, rubbing your eyes, and/or prolonged periods of time zoning out on your screen contemplating if you should procrastinate or just get it done.
Computer vision syndrome. This should be enough for you to shut off any electronic device you've been staring at for longer than 30 minutes. According to the American Optometric Association, CVS "describes a group of eye- and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader and cell phone use". As an individual who has been wearing glasses for the past 14 years, my vision got progressively worse throughout my teen years as my screen time increased. However, in the last 4 years that I have attended college, I have never stared at a screen longer than I do for school. So why do I bring up CVS and wearing glasses?
I recently went to the optometrist to get an updated glasses prescription after not having gone in the last 5 years (get your eyes checked folks!). While I was waiting for the doctor to finish typing up my prescription, she asked me if I had increased my screen-time drastically within the last couple of years, to which I responded yes. She then looked at me and said, "I can tell". Ouch. Well turns out, my vision has decreased significantly these last few years and the doctor attributed it to my increased screen-time. And while it hurt to hear, it was definitely a wake up call to stop staring at a screen for so long.
So to my fellow classmates who are entering this finals season, take some time outside or read a book or cook some delicious food. The screen will be there when it is all finished, and it wouldn't hurt to not look at it for an hour or two. Take care of yourselves, your eyes will thank you for it.
Computer vision syndrome (Digital Eye Strain). AOA.org. (n.d.). https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/computer-vision-syndrome?sso=y
This is somewhat frightening to me. Given that we live in an era where we have to use screens, I wonder if there are any specific measures we can take to reduce myopia and other problems? I found one article on PubMed (link at the end of this comment) that found increased sunlight exposure can decrease risk of myopia, possibly do to sunlight triggering a dopamine release near the retina. While getting too much sunlight can be a bad thing, getting some for eye health could be a simple way of combatting the potential harm of screens.
ReplyDeleteLink and citation to the article I found.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32668607/
Alfredsson, L., Armstrong, B. K., Butterfield, D. A., Chowdhury, R., de Gruijl, F. R., Feelisch, M., Garland, C. F., Hart, P. H., Hoel, D. G., Jacobsen, R., Lindqvist, P. G., Llewellyn, D. J., Tiemeier, H., Weller, R. B., & Young, A. R. (2020). Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(14), 5014. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145014
Great post! It's important to recognize the impact of increased screen time on our eye health, especially during finals. While many people turn to blue-light blocking lenses to alleviate symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS), I found a study that indicates that the evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. This is especially concerning for me as i love my blue-light glasses, and I thought they helped me but it could just be a placebo effect sadly.
ReplyDeleteSingh, S., Downie, L. E., & Anderson, A. J. (2021). Do blue-blocking lenses reduce eye strain from extended screen time? A double-masked randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 226, 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2021.02.010