does lcd screen harm eyes free sample

Flicker-free monitors are specially designed to produce a single continuous light source. A typical monitor adjusts its brightness through flickering, introducing periods of low light between higher brightness. While a user may not be aware of the flicker, it can cause a number of issues, including eye strain. However, many monitors now use flicker-free technology to put less strain on monitor users’ eyes.

Research shows that the average American worker uses a computer for up to 7 hours a day for work, recreation, or both. Most of us have never realized the degree to which we’re regularly exposed to digital displays. That exposure takes a toll on the health of your eyes, as well as your overall health, over prolonged periods.

Unfortunately, continued exposure to computer monitors can be very harmful to your eyes, causing irritation and discomfort in the short term. It may also lead to more severe issues in the long-term.

Since your screen-centric lifestyles aren’t likely to change anytime soon, it’s vital for us to take proactive preventative measures to maintain the long-term health of your eyes. This includes making modifications to your workstation, as well as practicing healthy eye techniques and strategies.

However, the path to saving your eyes from long-term damage starts with the computer monitor you choose.  Choosing a flicker-free monitor – a display that maintains a steady stream of light – is one of the healthiest choices you can make to protect your eyes.

Before we talk about how the right computer monitor can protect your eyes, we need to first understand how digital displays can potentially degrade your vision over time.

Most computers on the market today are designed with LED backlighting, which enhances the computer screen’s clarity, brilliance, contrast, definition, and graphics. LED backlighting emits blue light waves that radiate at a brighter intensity than that of natural light or other light waves on the light spectrum. The light from a digital display is composed of what is known as HEV light (high-energy visible light). HEV light occurs in the violet/blue part of the visible spectrum.

Our eyes are not naturally equipped to protect against and filter out intense blue light, meaning that the higher energy of blue light waves can be particularly damaging to your lenses and retinas without taking the correct measures. (For example, switching from a screen to a projector.)

Consistent exposure to harmful blue light rays can cause eye fatigue, dryness, and irritation. It may also lead to digital eye strain or Computer Vision Syndrome, which encompasses a host of accompanying problems and issues, among them headaches, vertigo, and neck pain.

When selecting a computer monitor, you need to be aware of the potential for vision issues caused by blue light waves. Choosing a computer monitor designed to mitigate its harmful effects can be extremely beneficial in maintaining the long-term health of your eyes.

The harmful intensity and energy of blue waves isn’t the only thing you need to think about when selecting a computer monitor. Flicker also presents a genuine danger to the health of your eyes.

Monitors that use LED backlighting flicker through pulse-width modulation (PWM), which enables you to adjust the brightness of your screen easily. If you’re in a sunlit room, you’ll need a bright screen to help you see; when you’re working late at night, you may prefer to dim your screen accordingly.

PWM turns the backlight “on” and “off” quickly at a steady frequency, which decreases the brightness of the screen. This seems like it should be a good thing since you want to be able to fully control the brightness of your screen to adapt to fit your environment and your personal preferences.

The problem is that the computer screen flickers at a very fast rate imperceptible to the human eye as the backlight turns on and off. This flicker causes your pupils to rapidly move from larger to smaller, which in turn causes a multitude of eye issues, including eye strain and eye fatigue.

When you use a non-flicker-free monitor, you are exposing yourself to constant on-screen flickering, which—as we’ve discussed above—can jeopardize the health of your eyes over time. Studies reveal that after only 3 to 4 hours of use of a traditional computer monitor—one that’s not engineered with flicker-free technology – 90% of computer users may experience eye fatigue.

Short-term use of such a monitor may lead you to notice symptoms such as eye fatigue, irritation, eye dryness, short-sightedness, blurry vision, and headaches. Continued exposure could potentially cause irreversible damage to the retinal cells in your eyes.

Computer companies are beginning to address the concerns and dangers that digital displays pose to your eye health. When certain features are integrated into digital displays and computer monitors, your eyes can be successfully protected from digital eye strain.

However, implementing design changes that will have a positive impact on eye health has proven to be difficult. Many computer companies have attempted to design flicker-free monitors, but the end product fails to truly protect your eyes. In other words, not all flicker-free monitors are created equal—and some aren’t actually “flicker-free” at all.

For example, some companies have attempted to protect your eyes from on-screen flicker but have only created monitors that mask the issue or create the impression of being flicker-free.

Conventional computer monitors flicker at a fixed frequency with comparatively longer periods of time between the “on” and “off” states of the backlight. Consequently, the on-screen flicker of conventional computer monitors is very noticeable.

Some devices attempt to solve the problem of on-screen flicker by integrating PWD as well as high refresh rates. These modifications to the LED backlight actually result in an increase in the frequency of the on-screen flicker and shorten the period between the “on” and “off” states of the backlight.

Since these on-screen flickers are incredibly fast for the human eye to perceive or process, this gives a false impression that flicker has been eliminated. However, it fails to protect your eyes, as they still are forced to rapidly adjust to the “on” and “off” backlight states—only now at a faster rate.

It may seem like we’ve arrived at a catch-22. Non-flicker-free monitors have proven to harm your eyes, and traditional flicker-free monitors still, unfortunately, fail to solve this problem. So what’s the solution?

ViewSonic has used its 30 years of visual solution experience—along with a deep understanding of how traditional computer monitors harm your eyes—to develop a line of computer monitors designed to protect your eye health.

Start by setting your display to peak brightness. Turn on your mobile phone camera and point it at your computer screen. Now, with your phone’s camera focused on the screen, adjust the brightness to 50% and then eventually down to 0%.  As you lower the screen’s brightness, any flicker will become increasingly noticeable if it’s a non-flicker free monitor.

By conducting this test, you will be able to finally detect on-screen flickers that are usually imperceptible to the human eye. Once you see for yourself how much harmful on-screen flicker you’re exposed to on a daily basis, you’ll be inclined to purchase a more health-conscious computer monitor.

On-screen flicker isn’t the only problem computer users face. Companies have also tried to create monitors that protect your eyes from harsh blue light waves.

In addition to choosing a low blue light, flicker-free monitor, here are 6 other easy steps you can take right now to protect and maintain the health of your eyes.

Make sure your workstation is lit properly – it shouldn’t be too dim or too bright. The goal is to reduce glare and reflection so that you don’t need to strain your eyes and can maintain a healthy viewing experience

When your computer screen uses a cooler color profile, more harmful blue light can emanate. To protect your eyes, adjust the temperature profile to a setting that uses more warm tones and fewer blue ones.

Maintain a proper viewing distance at your workstation. You should not be situated too far or too close; according to the American Optometric Association, a healthy viewing distance means that your screen should be positioned 15 to 20 degrees below eye level, as well as 20 to 28 inches away from the eyes.

To remedy the constant exposure you receive to digital displays in everyday life, it’s critical that you take breaks to give your eyes time to recover, reducing the effects of eye strain. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, you should focus your eyes on a point 20 feet away from the computer screen for a total of 20 seconds.

If you find yourself leaning forward to peer at your screen or squinting to make out a word, it’s time toincrease the text size on your device. Your operating system will allow you to make changes to the size of the text you see across all programs, and may even allow you to choose a preferred typeface to aid you in reading.

Screens are everywhere today. If you work in an office, you use one to edit documents and create spreadsheets; if you work in a store or a restaurant, you use a digital point-of-sale system. When you’re off the clock, you use your devices to watch movies, text friends, and shop for clothes. Even when you’re driving, you’re looking at the GPS or passing by digital billboards.

To ensure that your eyes stay healthy, you need to stay aware of the potential dangers of continued exposure to computer monitors. The key is understanding how certain computer monitors can impact the health of your eyes, either positively or negatively.

Finally, when working, make small tweaks to your work habits to help your eyes feel better. Let yourself take short breaks periodically to refocus your eyes – and maybe do a few relaxing deep breaths while you’re at it.

47% of U.S. consumers admitted to being unable to last a day without their mobile devices in a 2014 study done by the Bank of America, demonstrating the increasing prevalence of mobile devices. Mobile devices use LCD screens which emit blue light and thus negatively affects not only vision but also overall health. Continual extended screen time mainly can impact your eyes in two major ways.

Digital Eye StrainWhen we look at a screen, our blink rate drops significantly, thus causing digital eye strain. Signs of digital eye strain include slightly blurry vision after using LCD screens for prolonged periods, headaches, dry or tired eyes.

Though digital eye strain is temporary, if left unaddressed, it can turn into a chronic problem.The easiest way to address digital eye strain is to blink more as blinking helps to keep eyes lubricated. Alternatively, try using the “20-20-20 Rule”. Every 20 minutes, stare at something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This exercise engages your distance vision and allows the eyes to rest.

Blue Light ExposureBlue light is the highest energy wavelength of visible light. This energy is able to penetrate all the way to the back of the eye, through the eyes’ natural filters. The rapidly increasing amount of blue light exposure that we get each day through digital device use is causing permanent damage to our eyes. The effects of blue light are cumulative and can lead to eye diseases like macular degeneration.

Children are especially at risk due to their developing eyes. Protective pigments which help filter out some of this harmful blue light are not yet present. The risk is worsened further due to their increased exposure to LCD screens.

Try minimising usage of LCD screens by reading print media or using E Ink displays instead. The InkCase, for example, allows users to read for prolonged periods with minimal power consumption by adding a secondary E Ink screen on the back of your phone.

Some people are hooked to watching show after show, putting their eyes at risk. But screen type is not the only factor in eye-healthy screen time. It really depends on the TV brightness, room lighting, distance from the screen, and view time. How? Let’s break it down:

The closer you go to the television, the more your eyes begin to strain. For both kids and adults, it is not necessary nor healthy to sit close to the screen. The basic rule is to sit at least five times as far away from the screen as it is wide. So, if your television is 32 inches wide, for example, the ideal viewing distance is 160 inches or around 13 feet.

The recommended viewing distance for televisions with 4K resolution is one and a half times the screen size. The recommended distance for HDTVs is three times the screen size of the TV. These guidelines also go for children, who may be the biggest culprits in non-safe viewing practices. If you must, rearrange your living room to space out the good seats away from the TV.

How does that translate into TV screen types? And what screen type should people use to better protect their eyes when watching various shows on television?

The most common display technologies are LED and LCD. The latest TV display technology is OLED, which is only available on high-end TVs. The pixels used to provide the display are the difference between LCD, LED, and OLED. When compared to LED backlight, OLED has a far higher resolution and delivers cleaner, better graphics.

An OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) screen consists of numerous pixels that emit its own light. Each pixel is made up of three separate RBG – red, blue, and green – OLEDs. OLEDs are true emissive components that produce light on their own and do not require a light source. Meaning they produce a light that’s more natural and less harsh on your eyes.

OLED TVs also provide excellent color and contrast because they do not use light from other sources to display colors, as LCD/LED TVs do. They also, on average, produce around 20% less blue light than LCD displays.

Both LCD and LED TVs work in similar ways to each other. The only difference between the two is the type of backlighting. A TV labeled as an LED utilizes LED illumination for the white backlighting instead of fluorescent (CFL) lamps.

While LED LCD TVs are more appealing than CFL LCDs, they cannot compete with OLED panels since the LCD/LED front panel is a liquid color display that is not self-emissive. Which is the biggest disadvantage of LCD/LEDs in terms of eyesight. Although they produce quality images, the color and contrast from these displays are due to their light sources, so they give off more brightness that can cause eye strain if not moderated.

To sum it up, OLED displays are better for your eyesight. They have more natural lighting, better color contrast, and a wider color range. However, no matter what type of display you have, you will hurt your eyesight if you don’t practice safe TV viewing.

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Are computers bad for your eyes?  And if so, what can be done about it?  These are questions that thousands of Australians ask every week.  The past ten years has seen enormous changes in the use of computer screens.

Once a desktop screen used only at work, the computer screen has been promoted to a mobile device that is with us 24/7.  The latest generation of teens and young adults stare at their smart phones, iPads and games consoles all day.  Coupled with this increased exposure is the increased intensity of light emitted from these screens. Is this harming our eyes?

This is one of those questions that anyone buying a new TV asks but most people are unaware that it’s a misleading question.  Technology manufacturers like to draw an artificial distinction between their LED and LCD monitors.  This cons us into believing that the LCD has been superseded by the LED, when in actual fact all that’s changed is the way the LCD monitor is backlit.

LCD (liquid crystal display) technology – to the uninitiated – involves sandwiching a liquid layer between two layers of glass and backlighting it. Older technologies backlit the screen using fluorescent light – called CCFL (or cold cathode fluorescent light). This produced light across all parts of the spectrum, with the peak in the green light part of the spectrum (see image, left).

More modern computers still use LCD screens but the backlighting used is more often LED (light emitting diode) technology. This has many advantages over the older fluorescent light technology.  It provides a thinner, lighter and more energy efficient display – generating less heat and consuming less power. However, the LED light spectrum is very different to the older fluorescent technology and emits a lot more light from the blue-violet end of the spectrum (see image, right).

UV light is invisible, but its very short wavelengths allow it to penetrate the delicate superficial tissues of our eyes and skin and cause oxidative damage. This is what leads to skin cancers as well as contributing to many eyes diseases particularly of the cornea and lens – i.e. cataract, pinguecula and pterygium.

Blue-violet light is visible light, but is on the part of the spectrum right next to ultra-violet. Blue-violet light has been shown to be toxic to the delicate structures of our eyes. It can penetrate deeper into the eye – as far as the retina – and it is emerging in clinical data that is has a negative effect on the health of our eyes, particularly for age-related macular degeneration.  The mechanism by which blue-violet light damages the retina is still being studied but it is thought to disrupt cellular metabolism at the back of the eye.  Blue blockers are glasses which filter out blue-violet light. The filter can be worn with or without a glasses prescription.

Not all blue light is bad!  At the greener end of the spectrum is blue-turquoise light.  Unlike blue-violet light this kind of blue light is beneficial to us.  This is the light that helps regulate our bio-rhythms, telling our bodies when to wake up in the morning and slow down before sleep. Blue light suppresses melatonin production in our bodies, so it is not healthy to be exposed to artificial blue light late at night as it prevents us our natural winding down mechanism from kicking in. This is a good reason why digital screen use should be avoided in the hours preceding sleep, regardless of whether blue-blockers are worn.

The negative effects of blue light on the eye are especially true for children. We previously wrote about kids’ eyes and computers here. (Link to clock-lock-block article).  The image below shows the relative intensity of light at various wavelengths for a typical L ED screen. It doesn’t matter what the device, if it’s modern, it’s typically emitting most light at the blue end of the spectrum.  This is bad news for our kids, who often spend hours per day on digital devices such as tablets and smartphones.

Take home message?  Exposure to blue-violet light should be limited as much as possible. Companies like BenQ now make all their screens with blue light filtering technology.  Children’s use of digital screens should be limited, to protect their particularly delicate eyes.  For the rest of us, blue blockers can provide protection from harmful blue-violet light but to get a good night’s sleep you should also limit screen exposure before bedtime.  And yes, that means TV too!

As we all know, AMOLED screen is a screen made of self-luminous organic materials. It does not require LCD backlight. When current passes through organic materials, pixels will emit light by themselves. Therefore, compared to LCD screens, AMOLED has more Pure black, higher contrast and other display advantages.

LCD screens rely on LED backlight panels to emit light. Therefore, in the field of smart phones, LCD screens mostly use DC dimming. This is a technology that directly adjusts the brightness of the two sides of the light-emitting component to adjust the brightness. The smaller the current, the lower the brightness.

DC dimming is relatively straightforward, but it also has a big disadvantage. Due to the different wavelengths of the three primary colors, DC dimming can cause unavoidable color casts under extremely low brightness conditions, such as early LCD displays with DC dimming , At low brightness, there will be obvious problems of discoloration.

The DC dimming does not seem to be suitable for AMOLED screens. AMOLED screen is a technology that relies on organic materials to emit light. The display quality is greatly related to the material, and the color difference between pixels will be very obvious.

Unlike DC dimming, which directly adjusts the current to control brightness, PWM dimming is more clever. Everyone knows that switching the light source will cause flicker. The faster the switching speed, the faster the flicker. When the frequency of switching the light source exceeds the limit of the human eye, the brightness of all pictures is superimposed in the human eye, so the frequency will affect the brightness of the screen. This technique is called PWM dimming (pulse width modulation).

However, with PWM dimming, even if the human eye cannot sense the picture change during the switching process, we will respond to this phenomenon. It is more likely to cause fatigue on the muscles on both sides of the eyes, thereby stimulating the refraction system to accelerate vision Ageing.

At present, Samsung ’s AMOLED screens use 250Hz low-frequency PWM dimming technology. When the screen brightness is lower, the possibility that the human eye can perceive becomes larger, and it is more likely to affect sensitive people.

AMOLED displays that use PWM low-frequency dimming for a long time do seem to affect vision, but do n’t think that LCD can survive. Even with DC dimming, it also has an irreversible effect on vision-cannot be ignored Blu-ray hazard.

Different from the AMOLED self-emission mode, the LCD screen uses a combination of backlight and filter imaging. In mainstream technology, many LCD screens will use blue LED backlight panels, which are covered with red, green and colorless three. This kind of filter forms three primary colors of RGB when blue light passes through these three filters.

Among them, the short-wave blue light emitted by the blue backlight board can cause harm to human eyes. Because short-wave light has a greater capacity density and is more penetrating, it will directly penetrate the lens to the retina, causing atrophy or death of retinal pigment epithelium cells.

From a technical point of view, whether it is an LCD or an AMOLED screen, the impact on vision is universal. As far as smartphones are concerned, it cannot be said that AMOLED screens are more eye-damaging than LCD screens.

Even if the LCD party held high the banner that PWM low-frequency dimming is harmful, it could not fully prove that AMOLED screens have an impact on vision, because everyone"s habits of using mobile phones are different, and the impact on everyone is different. There is no doubt that in the end, it is still the habits that need attention. For example, users should try to avoid watching the phone screen for a long time; reduce the viewing time of LCD and AMOLED low brightness in the dark environment.

There are many reasons to restrict the amount of time you spend in front of an electronic screen. For example, more hours sitting at a computer or smartphone means fewer hours of being physically active, and looking at a computer screen at night can stimulate the brain and make it difficult to fall asleep.

Here"s another reason to curb screen time: a problem called computer vision syndrome — an umbrella term for conditions that result from looking at a computer or smartphone screen. "It"s most prevalent with computers, and typically occurs when looking at a screen at arm"s length or closer," says Dr. Matthew Gardiner, an ophthalmologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

One is dry eyes, caused by a lack of blinking. "When you look at a screen, you"re so involved that you forget to blink. The blink rate goes from 15 times a minute to five or seven times per minute," explains Dr. Gardiner. But you need to blink to re-establish the tear film on the eyes — a thin layer of liquid that protects the surface of the eye. If you don"t blink enough, your eyes dry out, causing blurry vision and discomfort.

The other main problem from staring at a screen too long is eyestrain. Dr. Gardiner says one possible cause of this is the brightness or glare that comes from the electronic screen. "Bright light sources can feel uncomfortable, especially if you have cataracts," Dr. Gardiner says. Eyestrain can also result from focusing up close on a screen without the proper eyeglass prescription. "Any time you strain to see something, maybe because you need reading glasses and have resisted getting them, you can get a headache. You can exhaust your eyes" ability to focus," says Dr. Gardiner.

Some research has even suggested that eyestrain may result from difficulty focusing on the text and images on computer screens in particular, since they"re made of pixels that create blurry edges.

Fortunately, eyestrain and dry eyes are easily treated. Dr. Gardiner recommends using artificial tears several times throughout the day. The artificial tears don"t have to be preservative-free. Another tip: remind yourself to blink from time to time.

If you have eyestrain and headaches after looking at the computer screen for long periods, make sure your eyeglass prescription is up to date. "The proper glasses can reduce eyestrain," says Dr. Gardiner. "The classic example is a person who never needed glasses, and then after age 45 has trouble seeing up close and is straining all day and getting headaches. Once the person gets reading glasses, the headaches are gone."

Dr. Gardiner"s best advice: take a break from electronic screens every 15 to 30 minutes, just for a minute. "Look away from the screen. Do something else, and refocus on a distant target."

Mom warned you not to sit too close to the TV when you were a kid. "In the past, screens were bombarded with energy. That emission back in the 1950s was too strong. In the "60s and "70s, they made safer TVs. Now with LCD or LED TVs, there"s nothing coming out of the screen to hurt you," says Dr. Matthew Gardiner, an ophthalmologist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Watching TV for long periods won"t generally lead to computer vision syndrome, since you"re using your distance vision for viewing, not close-up vision, which risks eyestrain. However, sitting too close to a big-screen TV may cause neck strain. "You"ll only see what"s right in front of you, and end up looking around to see all aspects of the screen," says Dr. Gardiner.

The short answer to this common question is no. The amount of blue light from electronic devices, including smartphones, tablets, LCD TVs, and laptop computers, is not harmful to the retina or any other part of the eye.

The screens of modern electronic devices rely on LED technology. Typical screens have individually controlled red, green, and blue LEDs tightly packed together in a full-color device. However, it is the bright white-light LEDs, which backlight the displays in smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers, that produce the greatest amount of blue light.

It all comes down to this: consumer electronics are not harmful to the retina because of the amount of light emitted. For example, recent iPhones have a maximum brightness of around 625 candelas per square meter (cd/m2). Brighter still, many retail stores have an ambient illumination twice as great. However, these sources pale in comparison to the sun, which yields an ambient illumination more than 10 times greater!

High-intensity blue light from any source is potentially hazardous to the eye. Industry sources of blue light are purposely filtered or shielded to protect users. However, it may be harmful to look directly at many high-power consumer LEDs simply because they are very bright. These include "military grade" flashlights and other handheld lights.

Compared to the risk from aging, smoking, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and being overweight, exposure to typical levels of blue light from consumer electronics is negligible in terms of increased risk of macular degeneration or blindness. Furthermore, the current evidence does not support the use of blue light-blocking lenses to protect the health of the retina, and advertisers have even been fined for misleading claims about these types of lenses.

Blue light from electronic devices is not going to increase the risk of macular degeneration or harm any other part of the eye. However, the use of these devices may disrupt sleep or disturb other aspects of your health or circadian rhythm. If you are one of the large number of people who fall into this category, talk to your doctor and take steps to limit your use of devices at night, when blue light is most likely to impact your biological clock.

Computer users complain of blurred vision, tired eyes, dry eyes and headaches on a daily basis. Many blame their computers for needing eyeglasses, while others claim that staring at a screen has caused their myopia (nearsightedness) to worsen. High tech employees worry about computer monitor radiation. What they all share is their concern about permanent, irreversible damage to their eyes.

The good news is that extensive research into eye health in Israel and North America has conclusively and repeatedly proven that digital screens do not cause eye damage. Nor has it been proven that intense computer activity can lead to or affect myopia, as in the case of high tech workers. That said, everyone agrees that computer use may cause temporary eye problems, most of which can easily be solved or prevented by simple changes in work habits.

As a general rule, if eye strain symptoms appear following a short period of computer use, this means that there is a specific eye health issue that should be addressed. However, developing tired eyes after eight hours of non-stop intense visual activity is totally normal. After all, wouldn’t you expect your legs to tire after running a marathon?" - Doctor Andrew Fink MD.

Eye strain occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use over a prolonged period of time, or when the muscles in your eyes fatigue. This means that eye strain can be caused by any number of events or situations, such as reading sheet music in a small font, composing in the dark or even driving a car for extended periods, to name a few.

There is no scientific evidence proving that eye strain causes permanent damage. Eye strain is generally associated with symptoms such as blurred vision, tiredness, soreness, itching of the eyes or headaches.

But these are just symptoms of eye discomfort, in the same way that muscles are often sore after exercising at the gym, which is an uncomfortable – yet harmless – side effect. By introducing good habits into your daily routine eye-strain should be prevented, or at least counteracted.

Wearing eyeglasses with an incorrect prescription will cause the eyes to tire more quickly when intensively staring at a screen for extended periods of time.

Our eyes are designed to look down slightly when reading or doing close-up work. Looking straight ahead at a focal point, or worse upwards or sideways, will cause additional strain on the eye muscles.

Lastly, the blue light factor has been extremely controversial among scientists. Although it can be found in almost everything from sunlight to fluorescent and LED lighting, it is actually considered as having both positive and negative effects on the eyes. Light is made up of electronic particles, and blue light has a very short wavelength thereby producing more energy.

On the other hand, blue light has also been proven to boost alertness and cognitive function, and help release happy endorphins. For those worried by the effect of blue light, there is no shortage of blue light filters for computer screens or blue light-blocking computer glasses.

Let’s start by having a closer look at the technical characteristics of the two main screens on the market: E-Ink (Electrophoretic Ink) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). E-Ink is an electronic paper display technology integrated into e-book reading devices such as Kindle. LCD screens are found in iPads, tablets, smartphones, televisions and computers.

Basically, E-Ink screens offer a reading experience similar to that of reading a paper book, whereas LCD screens offer a digital experience. Based on these preliminary findings, it would make perfect sense to believe that E-Ink screens are better for the eyes. Surprisingly, however, Dr. Fink and the American Optometric Association state that “the nature of the screen (LCD vs. E-Ink) is largely irrelevant”. So, why aren’t E-Ink screens considered as being naturally better for the eyes?

One recurring argument is that E-Ink screens are preferable because backlit screens damage the eyes. As it turns out, this isn’t true. According to the American Optometric Association, “backlit screens do not make any difference as our eyes naturally adjust to the amount of light we are exposed to”.

Furthermore, since LCD screens are backlit they offer built-in options to manually adjust screen brightness. Most LCD screens do this automatically by calculating the ratio of external vs screen lighting.

Another argument comes from Carl Taussig, director of Hewlett-Packard‘s Information Surfaces Lab. According to him, “the new LCDs don’t affect your eyes, today’s screens update every eight milliseconds, whereas the human eye is moving at a speed between 10 and 30 milliseconds.”

To improve the reading experience, Apple has introduced the Night Shift and True Tone features. Night Shift is designed to automatically adjust the display color balance in order to reduce brightness. True Tone automatically changes the white point and color balance of the display based on real-time measurements of the ambient light falling on the screen. The idea is to make the display behave more like paper reflecting ambient light and taking on its color.

The adaptive design of LCD screens means that your eyes won’t have to adjust when you look up from the screen, as the screen brightness will have automatically adapted to the ambient lighting, thereby significantly improving eye comfort.

Screen reflection is also commonly mentioned as being a cause of eye strain. Technically speaking, the presence of glare and reflections on the screen can make viewing difficult due to different degrees of brightness scattered over the screen, which cause constant adjustments in pupil size. That being said, those adjustments are a natural reaction for the eyes and are neither damaging nor completely solvable.

In addition, LCD manufacturers are investing large amount of money on anti-glare and anti-reflective technology. And Apple are ahead of the game. According to them, the iPad Pro has the lowest screen reflectivity compared to that of any other tablet on the market.

Screen resolution and display settings are extremely important when reading from a digital screen. High resolution generally means a better, sharper viewing experience, with less strain placed on the eyes. Reading, annotating and editing sheet music on a device with a high-resolution LCD screen provides a fuller experience, allowing users to zoom-in and comfortably see every little detail, without pixelation.

For example, Apple’s second generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro has one of the largest screen resolutions available on the market, at 2732 x 2048 pixels (264 DPI). E-ink screens, in comparison, are usually limited to a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels (150 DPI).

Dr. Travis Meredith, chair of the ophthalmology department at the University of North Carolina, sums it up in his own words: “sitting close to a television, or computer screen, isn’t bad for our eyes. It’s the environmental context that matters”.

The recommended distance is whatever is comfortable, but for reading it’s usually considered to be about 13 inches for both A4- or A3-sized screens. It’s important to make sure that note and font size are not too small.

We simply need to give ourselves time to adopt these new habits and begin re-educating ourselves to better cope with intense eye use. If we are diligent in integrating this new approach, we will be able to ride the wave of technological advancements while protecting our eyesight.

OLEDs are true emissive components that produce light on their own and do not require a light source. Meaning they produce a light that"s more natural and less harsh on your eyes. OLED TVs also provide excellent color and contrast because they do not use light from other sources to display colors, as LCD/LED TVs do.

Samsung Display"s AMOLED can block potentially harmful blue light by reducing the illumination of wavelengths between 415 to 455nm while increasing the illumination of safer wavelengths nearby.

LCD screens emit blue light and thus negatively affects not only vision but also overall health. Continual extended screen time mainly can impact your eyes in two major ways. When we look at a screen, our blink rate drops significantly, thus causing digital eye strain.

Is LED or LCD Better for the Eyes? An LED display provides the option to dim the backlight, along with other eye comfort features. Not only that, it provides a wider viewing angle without harming image quality. Therefore, an LED display is far better for your eyes than an LCD.

LCD screens also tend to offer better viewing angles and a wider field of view. LED monitors, on the other hand, can be the better option with general eye fatigue related to prolonged use and blue light, as they tend to offer a more robust dimming system.

OLEDs are true emissive components that produce light on their own and do not require a light source. Meaning they produce a light that"s more natural and less harsh on your eyes. OLED TVs also provide excellent color and contrast because they do not use light from other sources to display colors, as LCD/LED TVs do.

Most people don"t have to use CRT screens any more. Those are the old computer screens with low refresh rates that created a noticeable flicker that made your eyes feel uncomfortable. Today, screens typically offer refresh rates of 75Hz or more.

So how does OLED stand out? OLED"s strengths when it comes to protecting viewers" eyes can be summarized by three points – low blue light emission, flicker elimination, and no discomfort glare.

Mobile devices use LCD screens which emit blue light and thus negatively affects not only vision but also overall health. Continual extended screen time mainly can impact your eyes in two major ways. When we look at a screen, our blink rate drops significantly, thus causing digital eye strain.

In short, yes. LED screens that are popular these days emit a great deal of blue light, which can be potentially harmful to the eyes. Therefore, watching too much TV, especially late at night, can suppress melatonin production that makes us ready for sleep.

So, while brightness itself is not a concern for eye health (unless you"re staring directly at the sun!) having your brightness set to a level that is more comfortable for your eyes, can also reduce the amount of blue light, which will protect your eyes from phototoxicity. References: [1] Camille Ryan.

The American Optometric Association recommends the 20/20/20 rule: look away from the screen every 20 minutes, focus on an object at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds. In addition, children should walk away from the screen for at least 10 minutes every hour.

Since its introduction, one major issue that has plagued the OLED technology is screen burn-in or image retention. An OLED TV that you"ve been using for a long time may start to retain static images displayed on the screen for hours, like channel logos, for example.

OLED is much better than LED LCD at handling darkness and lighting precision, and offers much wider viewing angles, which is great for when large groups of people are watching TV. Refresh rates and motion processing are also better with OLED though there is the spectre of image retention.

But if you watch regular shows and movies where the picture is constantly changing, chances are that you will never reach the end of its lifespan, with LG saying their TV"s last for 100,000 hours, which is 10 hours a day for 10 years. How long does OLED TV last?

LG OLED TVs are also the first panels from any kind of TV to receive the Eyesafe® certification developed by TUV-Eyesafe®. *LG OLED TV panels have been certified as flicker-free and discomfort glare free by UL.

Most people know the sun can hurt our eyes but are less clear on whether to worry about other bright lights, like computer screens. In short, these screens are far less damaging than the sun.

This is because screens aren’t as bright as the sun, and newer screens don’t generally produce UV rays, the most damaging kind of light the sun produces. Instead, the most important light to consider that screens produce is short wavelength, high-energy blue light.

In the short term, blue light is mostly associated with potentially causing eye strain. Per the American Optometric Association, this usually isn’t serious and can mostly be solved by habitually looking away from your screen on occasion and practicing some basic techniques to reduce the strain.

In the long term, some studies have suggested the blue light from screens can damage retinal cells, leading to problems like age-related macular degeneration. The extent of this issue is not fully understood, but it is notably not serious enough to suddenly avoid all use of screens.

Vision experts generally don’t consider screens as a source of permanent vision damage, even if extended use can cause eye irritation. If you only look at screens for a few hours a day and don’t experience any vision issues, you probably do not need to worry.

The biggest thing to consider when it comes to screens is if and how much they may damage our eyes in the long term. There is not yet a fully clear answer, so more research needs to be done. The accepted view is that the blue light from screens is not a major cause of long-term vision issues, though excessive use should be avoided.

Many people are understandably under the impression that any bright light aimed at our eyes can cause permanent damage. After all, the sun is one of the brightest things we encounter on a regular basis, and it is well understood that it can damage our eyes.

In some respects, it makes sense to think that even light sources that are not as bright, such as computers and smartphone screens, might damage our eyes too, given enough time. This is somewhat true, although not to the degree many assume.

The sun produces a wide spectrum of light rays. Its white color comes from the fact that it is producing red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet light all at once. Importantly, it also produces ultraviolet (UV) rays, which are invisible but can readily cause permanent damage if you’re exposed to them for lengthy periods of time. While skin damage from UV light is often discussed, the sun’s rays can also damage the eyes.

Old cathode ray screens (now almost completely obsolete and no longer used by the bulk of people) actually produced a tiny amount of UV rays when in use, but newer screens do not. The most troublesome light our modern devices (ranging from light bulbs to tablets) tend to produce is blue light.

This type of light has short wavelengths and relatively high amounts of energy. While blue light is not extremely dangerous and comes in far higher quantities from the sun, there is at least one study suggesting that long-term exposure to blue light through our devices may cause at least some eye harm.

In the short term, staring at screens for a long time is known to sometimes cause computer vision syndrome, or digital eye strain. While not serious, this condition can still be irritating and even detrimental to one’s work. It can potentially cause:

The first factor is simply the length of exposure. The average American worker spends at least seven hours in front of a screen, and some people spend significantly more time than that staring at screens. Compounding the issue is the fact that many people are unfortunately in the habit of maintaining bad posture while staring at screens.

Try to light your workspace (or wherever you’ll be looking at a screen) properly, so the light level in the room is roughly equal to how much light your screen will be producing. Contrasting levels of light, such as being in a dark room while looking at a bright screen, can strain the eyes faster.

Practice the 20-20-20 rule. This simple rule can help with eye strain. All you need to do is take a break every 20 minutes or so to stare at an object about 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This helps to give your eyes a break from focusing on a bright screen that is close to you. Make this rule a habit, and you’ll feel the difference in your eyes over time.

The effect of digital eye strain or screen time is the same whether you are using a computer, smartphone, or tablet since they all emit similar rays and have comparable effects on the eyes.

Screens may be causing a subtler and less understood long-term problem. This was brought to light in studies that suggested sustained exposure to blue light could lead to impaired retinal cells. This has been linked to problems like age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause blurred vision. There is no cure for AMD, but the condition can be managed.

There are some things you can do to protect your eyes from blue light. The most obvious is to simply reduce screen time. Some evidence suggests children’s eyes absorb more blue light than adults’ eyes. Children should have less screen time than adults.

There are filters and special glasses that are designed to reduce how much blue light is hitting your eyes. Many of these filters can also help with eye strain, as they reduce how bright your screen is compared to the rest of the room. You can benefit from wearing these glasses or using the filters for at least a few hours of your time in front of a screen each day.

If you work from home, all in-person meetings are replaced with Zoom or other video meetings, which means you are staring at a screen for many more hours than you used to in an average day.

Remember to take frequent screen breaks throughout the day by looking away from your computer. Actually get up to walk around for 5 minutes or so. Your body needs the break as much as your eyes.

You may also consider muting notifications on your other devices, like your phone or tablet. This allows you to truly take breaks while you eat meals or after hours, ensuring that you aren’t chained to your screens even if you are working from home.

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly increased screen time for many kids, thanks to online school and limited in-person social interactions with friends. And screen time was already a subject of concern for many parents.

While all screen time is not bad for kids, it’s a good idea to encourage your children to avoid excessive screen time. Too much screen time has been linked to obesity, poor sleep patterns, low self-esteem, and behavioral problems.

If you don’t notice much eye strain or other issues after extended computer or smartphone use, you probably don’t have anything to worry about. Staring at a screen is certainly nothing like staring at the sun. If you only use screens for a few hours a day, it’s unlikely you’ll ever experience any screen-related vision problems.

Blue light is not the sole cause of age-related macular degeneration. It is caused by a combination of many factors. If you believe you are at risk of AMD, it can be helpful to limit your screen time.

An exact number on the amount of ideal screen time is tough to pinpoint. Most vision experts aren’t too concerned that screens cause much permanent damage (if any damage at all), but in some cases, screens can cause discomfort or potentially more serious problems.

Ultimately, it isn’t healthy to stare at a screen for hours on end. Excessive screen time brings various other concerns, other than just vision-related problems. Extended use of screens has been linked to various health issues, including obesity and insomnia.

Overall, limiting your screen time to a few hours a day and practicing the 20-20-20 rule should be enough to avoid any major vision problems related to screen time.

After working on a computer or browsing on your phone for too long, do your eyes become tired, dry, or strained? Then you’ve experienced what so many others have: eye strain. The past year has pushed many people to work or take classes from home, which leads to increased hours of screen time. Learning how to protect your eyes from computer screens can prevent you from feeling the discomfort of digital eye strain.

Eye strain is a condition that is commonly associated with driving long distances or staring at computer screens and other digital devices. It usually occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use, and it will usually subside on its own. For the most part, a digital eye strain is more annoying than painful. However, in some cases, eye strain can be a sign of an underlying eye condition that may require treatment.

In the digital age, technology has helped us accomplish more. But after hours of looking at screens, your eyes may become watery, dry, sore, or itchy. That’s because the light, specifically blue light, emitted off your computer or phone’s screen can put a strain on your eyes. Some long-term studies have shown that it can damage your retinal cells, which may lead to age-related macular degeneration. Until more research is conducted, most experts don’t believe that screens cause permanent damage to your vision. Digital eye strain headaches are a common symptom of eye strains from excessive screen time.

Do you feel some discomfort in your eyes after a long day of looking at your digital devices? If so, then you’re probably looking for a way to reduce digital eye strain symptoms. Here are some tips on how to protect eyes from computer and phone screens.

One of the most practical ways to protect eyes from computer screens is the 20/20/20 rule. It works like this, for every 20 minutes you spend staring at a screen, you must look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds straight. This provides your eyes with a much-needed break. Feel free to adjust the amount of time you look away from a screen—the longer, the better.

Whether you are working from home or at the office, make sure your environment is appropriately lit. Less light in your room is actually better for your eyes. To ensure your work environment isn’t too bright, close curtains and use lower voltage bulbs.

When possible, using an anti-glare matte screen can help reduce the effect glare can have on your eyes. Glare from your computer or phone’s screen stops your eyes from making adjustments that they need for you to focus. If you wear glasses, make sure your lenses have an anti-reflective coating.

The typical screens you deal with today offer refresh rates of 75Hz or more. The higher the better. Furthermore, screens with higher resolutions appear more lifelike. When you can’t see the pixels, your eyes don’t work as hard to make sense of the images in front of you.

One of the best ways to treat your eye strain problem is with artificial tears. As an effective way of keeping your eyes lubricated, artificial tears can be bought over the counter. Some artificial tears come with preservatives and some without, so you may need to try a few before finding the one best for you.

If you are suffering eye strain and are not finding relief from the above solutions, it may be time to see your eye doctor. As mentioned before, a regular eye exam can help you get ahead of any underlying conditions that are affecting your eyes. It can also be an opportunity for you to ask how to protect your eyes from computer screens. In the case that you do have an underlying eye condition, and want to see if you are a candidate for LASIK you shouldschedule a free consultation. You can trust that our doctors will help find the best solution for your eyes.

Many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing digital screens for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of digital screen use.

The average American worker spends seven hours a day on the computer either in the office or working from home. To help alleviate digital eyestrain, follow the 20-20-20 rule; take a 20-second break to view something 20 feet away every 20 minutes.

Viewing a computer or digital screen often makes the eyes work harder. As a result, the unique characteristics and high visual demands of computer and digital screen viewing make many individuals susceptible to the development of vision-related symptoms. Uncorrected vision problems can increase the severity of computer vision syndrome (CVS) or digital eyestrain symptoms. Viewing a computer or digital screen is different than reading a printed page. Often the letters on the computer or handheld device are not as precise or sharply defined, the level of contrast of the letters to the background is reduced, and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen may make viewing difficult.

Viewing distances and angles used for this type of work are also often different from those commonly used for other reading or writing tasks. As a result, the eye focusing and eye movement requirements for digital screen viewing can place additional demands on the visual system. In addition, the presence of even minor vision problems can often significantly affect comfort and performance at a computer or while using other digital screen devices. Uncorrected or under corrected vision problems can be major contributing factors to computer-related eyestrain. Even people who have an eyeglass or contact lens prescription may find it"s not suitable for the specific viewing distances of their computer screen. Some people tilt their heads at odd angles because their glasses aren"t designed for looking at a computer or they bend toward the screen in order to see it clearly. Their postures can result in muscle spasms or pain in the neck, shoulder or back.

In most cases, symptoms of CVS occur because the visual demands of the task exceed the visual abilities of the individual to comfortably perform them. At greatest risk for developing CVS are those persons who spend two or more continuous hours at a computer or using a digital screen device every day.

The extent to which individuals experience visual symptoms often depends on the level of their visual abilities and the amount of time spent looking at a digital screen. Uncorrected vision problems like farsightedness and astigmatism, inadequate eye focusing or eye coordination abilities, and aging changes of the eyes, such as presbyopia, can all contribute to the development of visual symptoms when using a computer or digital screen device.

Many of the visual symptoms experienced by users are only temporary and will decline after stopping computer work or use of the digital device. However, some individuals may experience continued reduced visual abilities, such as blurred distance vision, even after stopping work at a computer. If nothing is done to address the cause of the problem, the symptoms will continue to recur and perhaps worsen with future digital screen use.

CVS, or digital eyestrain, can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination. Testing, with special emphasis on visual requirements at the computer or digital device working distance, may include:

Testing how the eyes focus, move and work together. In order to obtain a clear, single image of what is being viewed, the eyes must effectively change focus, move and work in unison. This testing will look for problems that keep the eyes from focusing effectively or make it difficult to use both eyes together.

This testing may be done without the use of eye drops to determine how the eyes respond under normal seeing conditions. In some cases, such as when some of the eyes" focusing power may be hidden, eye drops may be used. They temporarily keep the eyes from changing focus while testing is done. Using the information obtained from these tests, along with the results of other tests, a doctor of optometry can determine the presence of CVS or digital eyestrain and advise treatment options.

Solutions to digital screen-related vision problems are varied. However, they can usually be alleviated by obtaining regular eye care and making changes in how the screen is viewed.

In some cases, individuals who do not require the use of eyeglasses for other daily activities may benefit from glasses prescribed specifically for computer use. In addition, persons already wearing glasses may find their current prescription does not provide optimal vision for viewing a computer.

Some computer users experience problems with eye focusing or eye coordination that can"t be adequately corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. A program of vision therapy may be needed to treat these specific problems. Vision therapy, also called visual training, is a structured program of visual activities prescribed to improve visual abilities. It trains the eyes and brain to work together more effectively. These eye exercises help remediate deficiencies in eye movement, eye focusing, and eye teaming and reinforce the eye-brain connection. Treatment may include office-based as well as home training procedures.

Location of the computer screen.Most people find it more comfortable to view a computer when the eyes are looking downward. Optimally, the computer screen should be 15 to 20 degrees below eye level (about 4 or 5 inches) as measured from the center of the screen and 20 to 28 inches from the eyes.

Reference materials.These materials should be located above the keyboard and below the monitor. If this is not possible, a document holder can be used beside the monitor. The goal is to position the documents, so the head does not need to be repositioned from the document to the screen.

Lighting.Position the computer screen to avoid glare, particularly from overhead lighting or windows. Use blinds or drapes on windows and replace the light bulbs in desk lamps with bulbs of lower wattage.

Anti-glare screens.If there is no way to minimize glare from light sources, consider using a screen glare filter. These filters decrease the amount of light reflected from the screen.

Rest breaks.To prevent eyestrain, try to rest eyes when using the computer for long periods. Resting the eyes for 15 minutes after two hours of continuous computer use. Also, for every 20 minutes of computer viewing, look into the distance for 20 seconds to allow the eyes a chance to refocus.

Prevention or reduction of the vision problems associated with CVS or digital eyestrain involves taking steps to control lighting and glare on the device screen, establishing proper working distances and posture for screen viewing and assuring that even minor vision problems are properly corrected.

Glasses should meet the demand of the job. If glasses are worn for distant vision, reading or both, they may not provide the most efficient vision for viewing a computer screen, which is about 20 to 30 inches from the eyes. Tell the doctor about job tasks and measure on-the-job sight distances. Accurate information will help get the best vision improvement. Patients may benefit from one of the new lens designs made specifically for computer work.

Minimize discomfort from blue light and glare. Blue light from LED and fluorescent lighting, as well as monitors, tablets and mobile devices, can negatively affect vision over the long term. Special lens tints and coatings can reduce the harmful impact of blue light. Minimize glare on the computer screen by using a glare reduction filter, repositioning the screen or using drapes, shades or blinds. Also, keeping screens clean; dirt-free and removing fingerprints can decrease glare and improve clarity.

Adjust work area and computer for comfort. When using computers, most people prefer a work surface height of about 26 inches. Desks and tables are usually 29 inches high. Place the computer screen 16 to 30 inches away. The top of the screen should be slightly below horizontal eye level. Tilt the top of the screen away at a 10- to 20-degree angle.

Use an adjustable copyholder. Place reference material at the same distance from eyes as the computer screen and as close to the screen as possible. That way the eyes won"t have to change focus when looking from one to the other.

Take alternative task breaks throughout the day. Make phone calls or photocopies. Consult with co-workers. After working on the computer for an extended period, do anything in which the eyes don"t have to focus on something up close.