THESE 7 FREE TOOLS WILL SAVE YOUR EYES IF YOU STARE AT SCREENS ALL DAY
By greatist.com - Macaela Mackenzie
As much as we try to digitally detox, most of us are still slaves to the screen. We spend nearly seven hours staring at screens every day—a big chunk of that checking our phones upwards of150 times a day. Our need to be connected to the digital world has gotten so out of hand that people are now being diagnosed with nomophobia, a fear of being without their mobile device.
But our screen obsession is more than just a sad social commentary: It’s causing short-term discomfort and potentially long-term damage to our bodies. Seven in 10 millennials today report digital eye strain, which includes a cocktail of symptoms (dry eyes, headaches, and lack of focus) that result from having our eyes glued to screens all day.
The simple act of staring isn’t the problem. “Just using your eyes doesn’t hurt your eyes,” says Lisa Park, M.D., an ophthalmologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. But when we stare at screens, we tend to blink less frequently, which brings on those dry, itchy eyes.
We also have to worry about the blue light that our desktops and smartphones emit. The blue light sends a signal to the brain to stop it from producing melatonin, the chemical that causes us to feel sleepy. (Hello, sleep deprivation.) Plus, research has found that blue light can damage the retina over time.
Just because you have a desk job doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Park recommends looking up from your screen every 15 minutes and staring at something that’s far away to let your eyes readjust. And since we can’t get away from screens without unplugging entirely, we found seven free tools you need to stop those screen-induced symptoms.
But our screen obsession is more than just a sad social commentary: It’s causing short-term discomfort and potentially long-term damage to our bodies. Seven in 10 millennials today report digital eye strain, which includes a cocktail of symptoms (dry eyes, headaches, and lack of focus) that result from having our eyes glued to screens all day.
The simple act of staring isn’t the problem. “Just using your eyes doesn’t hurt your eyes,” says Lisa Park, M.D., an ophthalmologist at NYU Langone Medical Center. But when we stare at screens, we tend to blink less frequently, which brings on those dry, itchy eyes.
We also have to worry about the blue light that our desktops and smartphones emit. The blue light sends a signal to the brain to stop it from producing melatonin, the chemical that causes us to feel sleepy. (Hello, sleep deprivation.) Plus, research has found that blue light can damage the retina over time.
Just because you have a desk job doesn’t mean you’re doomed. Park recommends looking up from your screen every 15 minutes and staring at something that’s far away to let your eyes readjust. And since we can’t get away from screens without unplugging entirely, we found seven free tools you need to stop those screen-induced symptoms.
1. Flux
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