{"id":2148,"date":"2023-12-07T12:08:24","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.aber.ac.uk\/digital-capabilities\/?p=2148"},"modified":"2023-12-07T12:08:24","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:08:24","slug":"eyes-on-the-prize-a-students-guide-to-defeating-computer-eyestrain-%f0%9f%91%81","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.aber.ac.uk\/digital-capabilities\/2023\/12\/07\/eyes-on-the-prize-a-students-guide-to-defeating-computer-eyestrain-%f0%9f%91%81\/","title":{"rendered":"Eyes on the Prize: A Student\u2019s Guide to Defeating Computer Eyestrain\u00a0\ud83d\udc41"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Blogpost by Joel Williams (Student Digital Champion)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whilst computers can be excellent tools to increase and streamline a student\u2019s productivity, staring at a screen all day can have several adverse effects. Through this post, and accompanying infographic<\/a>, I hope to impart several tips which I\u2019ve used to help make using computers a more enjoyable experience throughout my degree.\u202fIn this post, I will discuss one common computer-related ailment, Eyestrain. Eyestrain can occur after extended periods of looking at the same monitor or by using a computer in a poorly lit environment.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

20-20-20 Rule<\/strong>\u202f <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the approaches I\u2019ve found easiest to implement into my studies is the 20-20-20 rule; this approach involves taking a break every 20 minutes, looking at an object 20 feet away (don\u2019t worry, this doesn\u2019t need to be precise), for 20 seconds. Blinking often during this is also suggested, as this can help relax the eye muscles and further reduce the likelihood of strain.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find out more about this via this LinkedIn Learning course<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reducing Blue Light<\/strong>\u202f <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another method to reduce eye strain is to limit your exposure to blue light; this is because the blue light produced by screens can limit the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone), which can disturb our natural sleep cycles and result in our eyes feeling strained at the end of the day. This topic is still up for scientific debate, and you can read more about it here<\/a>.\u202fThis is easier to setup on personal machines but with some tweaking can be used on almost any computer at the University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two main approaches to managing this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n