Digital Eye Strain: When Your Eyes Never Get a Break
Whether you’re working from home, studying, catching up on emails, scrolling through your phone, or relaxing in front of the TV, screens have become a constant part of our everyday lives.
While computers, smartphones, tablets and televisions have been around for years, the amount of time we spend looking at them continues to increase. For many of us, there is very little opportunity for our eyes to truly rest. We might spend the day looking at a laptop for work, then pick up our phone during a break, and finish the evening watching Netflix or scrolling through social media.
With this constant cycle of screen use, you may have noticed symptoms such as blurred vision, tired or heavy eyes, headaches, difficulty focusing, or a feeling of pressure around the eyes. Your eyes may also feel dry, irritated or scratchy, particularly towards the end of the day. You may even find yourself thinking, “My eyes just aren’t what they used to be.”
What is digital eye strain?
Digital eye strain is the discomfort and fatigue that can occur after prolonged periods of focusing on digital screens at close or intermediate distances.
Our eyes are designed to continually change focus and look at objects across different distances. However, spending hours concentrating on a screen places sustained demands on our focusing system. We also tend to blink less when concentrating on a screen, which can contribute to dryness and irritation.
The issue isn't necessarily one screen in particular but the cumulative amount of screen time throughout the day. When we finish work on the laptop and immediately move to our phone or television, our eyes may not get the opportunity to properly relax.
While there is no magic cure for digital eye strain, there are simple things you can do to make your eyes more comfortable:
Follow the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break from your screen and look at something around 20 metres away. The important part is giving your eyes a genuine break from close-up focusing.
Make sure your prescription is up to date. Uncorrected vision problems can make your eyes work harder, particularly when using screens for long periods. Your optometrist can also check for focusing or eye-coordination issues that may contribute to discomfort.
Remember to blink. We naturally blink less when concentrating on a screen. Making a conscious effort to blink regularly can help keep your eyes comfortable. If your eyes feel persistently dry or gritty, lubricating eye drops or artificial tears may also help.
Keep your screen at a comfortable distance. Avoid holding your phone or positioning your laptop excessively close to your face, as closer viewing requires more focusing effort.
Give your eyes a break between screens. If you've spent all day on a laptop, try not to immediately replace it with your phone or another screen. Where possible, take some time to look outside, go for a walk, or simply relax without a screen.
Screens aren't going anywhere and neither are our increasingly digital lifestyles. The goal isn't to avoid technology, but to become more aware of how much time our eyes spend focusing on screens throughout the entire day.
If you regularly experience blurred vision, headaches, eye fatigue, dryness or discomfort, don't simply put it down to “too much screen time.” An optometrist can assess your eyes and help determine whether your symptoms are related to digital eye strain or whether there is another underlying vision issue.
