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The 21st Century has seen technological advancement in our classrooms. Gone are the days of teachers writing out lesson plans and resources by hand and ending the day covered in chalk and dust from blackboards. Notebooks have been replaced by laptops and iPads, and whiteboards have been replaced with interactive whiteboards. Despite the numerous advantages these technologies possess, the amount of time we now devote in front of these items is increasing and this is having adverse effects on our eyes and wellbeing in general. As a recent study by Medibank (2014) indicated that we now spend more time in front of screens than sleeping, it is vital that we know some tricks to minimise eye damage we are causing.
Use appropriate lighting: Excessive or inappropriate lighting often
causes eye strain. To reduce eye strain try positioning your screen so windows
are to the side, not behind or in front of it. By installing an anti-glare
screen on your monitor glare is reduced and eye strain is minimised.
Alter your computer display settings: To reduce eye strain and fatigue it is beneficial to adjust the settings of your computer. This can be done in a few ways including;
Text size and colour: When reading or composing documents adjust the text size and contrast to a comfortable level. Use black print on a white background to avoid discomfort.
Brightness: Adjust the brightness on your screen so it is around the same as the brightness in your environment
Blink often: When working in front of a screen people blink almost one-third less than normal. This results in dryness and irritation as the eyes are not appropriately moistened. To prevent your eyes drying out, try blinking very slowly ten times every 20 minutes. This is effective in rewetting your eyes.
Eye exercises: A common problem associated with screen use is focus fatigue. To ensure your eyes don’t tire out from constant focus try the 20-20-20 exercise. This is carried out by looking away from your computer every 20 minutes, gazing at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will relax the eye muscles and effectively reduce fatigue.
Take frequent breaks: Increased screen time not only effects one’s eyes but ones whole body. By taking frequent breaks from the screen allows one to stand up, move around and stretch their legs, back, neck and shoulders to limit muscular fatigue.
Eye examination: To prevent screen related vision problems it is beneficial to get your eyes checked with a routine and comprehensive eye exam every two years.
Alter your computer display settings: To reduce eye strain and fatigue it is beneficial to adjust the settings of your computer. This can be done in a few ways including;
Text size and colour: When reading or composing documents adjust the text size and contrast to a comfortable level. Use black print on a white background to avoid discomfort.
Brightness: Adjust the brightness on your screen so it is around the same as the brightness in your environment
Blink often: When working in front of a screen people blink almost one-third less than normal. This results in dryness and irritation as the eyes are not appropriately moistened. To prevent your eyes drying out, try blinking very slowly ten times every 20 minutes. This is effective in rewetting your eyes.
Eye exercises: A common problem associated with screen use is focus fatigue. To ensure your eyes don’t tire out from constant focus try the 20-20-20 exercise. This is carried out by looking away from your computer every 20 minutes, gazing at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will relax the eye muscles and effectively reduce fatigue.
Take frequent breaks: Increased screen time not only effects one’s eyes but ones whole body. By taking frequent breaks from the screen allows one to stand up, move around and stretch their legs, back, neck and shoulders to limit muscular fatigue.
Eye examination: To prevent screen related vision problems it is beneficial to get your eyes checked with a routine and comprehensive eye exam every two years.