With the change in attitudes toward work and with a shift to working from home for most sectors, many of us are finding ourselves unable to separate work from chill time and are spending way more hours in front of the computer.
Will computer glasses help with headaches?
Usually, after a long day's work in the office, most of us head out and socialise or unwind at home. But with the change in attitudes toward work and with a shift to working from home for most sectors, many of us are finding ourselves unable to separate work from chill time and are spending way more hours in front of the computer. To quote a beloved New Yorker cartoon, "I can't remember -- do I work at home or do I live at work?
Average screen time is now on the rise. According to data from App Annie, an app analytics firm, Americans averaged about four hours a day on their phone, up from three hours in 2019. And that doesn't include the time we spent glued to a TV screen or doing online classes and taking meetings on a laptop.
The stats hint at just how integral screens became to our lives in 2020 -- and how much a years-long tech industry effort to reduce the average time spent on our devices was undermined by an incredibly turbulent year.
Two years ago, some of the same tech giants who built the products that consumed our time reflected very publicly on society's excessive screen time habits. Facebook, Instagram and Apple rolled out tracking tools to help users, including Tim Cook himself, better avoid the endless scrolling. Tristan Harris, the former Google employee behind the "Time Well Spent" movement, campaigned for people to log off and be more present in their lives.
Then the pandemic forced us to replace much of our offline life with an extremely online one. But what strain has that placed on our eyes?
Computer Vision Syndrome
If you notice that your eyes become strained and irritated during the day, it may be from something called computer vision syndrome. This is a temporary vision condition caused by staring at a computer screen for long periods of time without proper glasses for computer use. Common symptoms associated with this condition include blurred vision, red or dry eyes, double vision, dizziness, and headaches. It is caused primarily by staring at the glow that emanates from a screen and something called blue light.
What is blue light?
Blue light is exactly that: light with blue wavelengths—which are supposedly beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood. However, these lights are great for the daytime because they keep us awake, and bad at night because they often impede sleep.
Tips to reduce exceeded screen time effects on your body
Screen time is almost unavoidable, especially for those of us who work with computers or use mobile devices - which is almost all of us. Still, there are steps you can take to reduce your screen time and its associated negative effects.
- Wear computer glasses or blue light glasses
- Expose yourself to natural daylight
- Take frequent breaks from viewing devices
- Wear sunglasses in the daytime
- Avoid the use of digital devices right before bedtime
- Protect your eyes from excess artificial blue light with the best computer glasses
Why wear computer glasses?
Computer glasses differ from regular glasses in that they are specifically made to help reduce the eye strain associated with computer work.
The anti-reflective coating on computer glasses helps reduce the glare that bounces off the screen and light coming from the device. Glass colour tinting is also a function that helps increase the screen’s contrast without making it too harsh for your eyes.
Most computers are distanced at 20 to 26 inches from the user’s eyes, and this is considered to be the intermediate zone. However, just like in regular glasses, not everyone’s eyes are the same in each zone.
In the workplace or at home, we sometimes feel it’s necessary to peer over our glasses or hunch closer to the computer to be able to read the screen better. But we all know this isn’t helping. Computer glasses promote clearer vision, which reduces the need to strain your back and neck.
Are You The Right Candidate?
Not everyone needs computer glasses. If you don’t experience constant eye strain or you don’t have a problem with your vision while at a computer, then computer glasses may not be for you. However, if you are constantly experiencing eye strain then computer glasses may be exactly what you need.
When you’re ready to make the decision to improve the health of your eyes, we at Solar Bat will be ready and waiting to help. Contact us today if you have any questions about Computer glasses and how they can help you manage eye strain and the effects of blue light.