Blue Light and Digital Eye Strain

As we continue to work and learn from home, the time we spend in front of a screen is probably more time than we spend doing anything else. Today’s world runs on digital. From the living room to the board room, we rely on our devices to stay informed, connect with others, attend classes and, in many cases, earn a living. Mobile devices and computers deliver countless benefits. However, they can also have an unpleasant side effect – more exposure to blue light.

What is Blue Light

Blue light is the range of light with the highest energy in the visible spectrum (the light we can see). Modern devices like smartphones, tablets, and computer monitors emit blue light. While historically, we’ve gotten our daily dose of blue light from the sun, our increased exposure to blue light from these modern devices has been linked to the onset of digital eye strain.

Blue Light Exposure & Your Eyes

Your eyes weren’t built to process blue light well, so they work extra hard to bring this light into focus. Think of it like running a marathon where someone keeps moving the finish line back. With 63% of U.S. employees working from home1 and parents reporting a recent 500% increase in children’s online screen time, two exposure to blue light from digital devices is at an all-time high. Your eyes are putting in overtime daily, contributing to digital eye strain and symptoms like tired eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and dry eyes.

Tips to Combat Digital Eye Strain

Here are a few tips to help keep your eyes healthy:

1. Schedule an appointment! Our doctors can talk to you about blue light lens options and other recommendations to help combat digital eye strain.
2. Observe the 20-20-20 Rule. Give your eyes a break from the screen every 20 minutes and spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet away. Also, blinking more often helps moisten your eyes, which may help reduce visual discomfort.
3. Maintain digital distance. Children should hold devices as far away from their eyes as possible, and adults are encouraged to have devices arm’s length away.
4. Dim the lights on your screen. Turn down the brightness level of device screens to reduce the amount of blue light exposure, especially during the evening hours.
5. Try blue-light-reducing eyewear. Consider the following eyeglass lens products that can help reduce blue light exposure:
   • A premium anti-reflective coating targets digital eye strain's blue light wavelengths. Because this coating absorbs and reflects blue light, it has an attractive, near-clear appearance that provides better cosmetic appeal than other blue-light lens products.
   • Light-reactive lenses offer comparable blue light filtration indoors in their clear state. Outdoors, the lenses darken and increase the amount of blue light filtration from sunlight to match the increased intensity of the source.