Tips to Promote Eye Health in the Digital Age

January 9, 2024

American adults spend about seven hours looking at a screen each day. Whether you're on a computer or glued to your phone, extended screen time can affect your eye health.

“Computers can take a toll on eyes,” says Christopher Starr, M.D., FACS, ophthalmologist at Israel Englander Department of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medicine. “It's called computer vision syndrome. It usually involves eye strain from fatigue due to staring at fixed near-distance targets all day long.”

It may not be possible to significantly lower the amount of time you spend looking at a screen. Still, there are several steps you can take to prevent computer vision syndrome and promote eye health. Here are a few tips to get started.

Follow the 20-20-20-20 Rule

Dr. Starr recommends the 20-20-20-20 rule to decrease dryness and fatigue:

Pause your work every 20 minutes.
Take a break from looking at the screen for at least 20 seconds.
During the break, look at an object 20 feet away or more, such as something down the hallway or outside your window.
Close your eyes or blink rapidly for an additional 20 seconds to counteract dryness.

Set an alarm or put a sticky note on your screen to remind you to take a break. Dr. Starr also suggests keeping a bottle of artificial tears on your desk as a visual reminder and additional tool to soothe dry eyes.

Block Out the Blue if It Works for You

Research suggests blocking blue light from screens is not an effective way to reduce eye strain. However, anecdotally, many people report that blue-light-blocking glasses are helpful. Dr. Starr says if you like blue-light-blocking glasses, wear them.

You may also be able to get the same effect without the cost of glasses. Most devices now come with a “blue shift mode” setting that turns off all blue light pixels. You can leave this setting on 24/7 or program it to turn on and off at certain times of the day.

Consider Computer Glasses

Whether you currently wear glasses or not, a pair of computer glasses may help protect your eyes and increase comfort.

“We often recommend people who spend many hours a day on computers to get computer glasses,” says Dr. Starr. “These are glasses that are ideally suited to arm's length, and will keep that distance in focus to alleviate a lot of that burden on the eye muscles trying to keep things in focus.”

If you already wear glasses and don’t want a second pair, computer glasses can be added to your current prescription to create bifocals or trifocals.

Get An Eye Exam

No matter how many hours a day you spend online, regularly scheduled eye exams are vital to eye health. A comprehensive exam can detect issues early and help prevent computer vision syndrome and related complications. If you're noticing changes, it’s time to see an ophthalmologist.

“Anybody who has a change in their eyes or their vision, definitely do not ignore it,” says Dr. Starr. “Go straight to your eye doctor and have it checked out.”

For more eye health tips and a comprehensive eye exam, schedule an appointment with a Weill Cornell Medicine ophthalmologist.