Do you worry about your eyesight? Do you worry about your eyesight? As a designer, there’s pretty much no escaping being in front of a screen. If you’re like me, between the computer, phone and TV, you probably spend more time each day with your eyes staring at a screen than you do sleeping. Face it, we’re slaves to our tech displays. Did you know that this constant exposure to one screen after another throughout the day can cause strain, and even damage to your eyes? The issue is ultraviolet blue UV light emitted by all these devices. Although researchers are at odds on whether screen use can cause permanent damage or not, they do agree that prolonged exposure to blue UV light does affect your eyes. Dr Ritesh Patel, an optometrist with the Ontario Association of Optometrists here in Canada, describes the problem. Our eyes are sensitive to a narrow band of light frequencies called the "visual light spectrum”. In that spectrum, blue light has the shortest wavelength causing it to emit the most energy. Traditionally, ultraviolet blue UV light comes from sunlight. It’s why you’ve been told all your life to protect your eyes with UV protecting sunglasses. However, unless you’re an MTV rapper trying to look cool, or you’re playing in the World Series of Poker, chances are you don’t wear sunglasses indoors. That’s a problem because all these screens we stare into each day also emit blue UV light. That’s not taking to account the LED lighting in our homes and offices which also put out blue light. Blue light is known to suppress the sleep hormone melatonin, causing an artificial feeling of wakefulness and disrupting sleep patterns, which can add to eye strain and affect your life in general. But it goes beyond just the blue light. Some screens today have built-in features to alter the light spectrum and reduce the amount of blue light they project, but they can’t eliminate it altogether, and it doesn’t change the fact that you are staring at a screen. How screens affect your eyes. A Canadian study reports that one-quarter of Canadians spend over 2 hours per day staring at their phones. Staring at a screen for hours at a time puts a heavy strain on your eyes, so it’s probably not a big surprise that doing so can put your eye health in jeopardy. Researchers are linking exposure to blue light to macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness. This research is referencing the blue light from the sun. These same researchers are not confirming a connection between screen time and blindness, but it’s a scary thought nonetheless that the same outside light they’re worried about is also being emitted by that device in your hand. According to a study done by Weill Cornell Medical College in New York: 93% of American adults spend two or more hours per day in front of a screen. 61% spend five or more hours in front of a screen. 30% spend more than nine hours in front of a screen. Chances are, as a designer you fall in that 30% bracket spending more than nine hours per day in front of a screen. Does that concern you? It should. Other studies say between 50%-90% of people who work all day in front of a computer screen experience symptoms of what doctors call Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is not one specific condition, but rather a term used to classify a multitude of problems caused by prolonged computer use. Things like: Blurred Vision Double Vision Dry, Red Eyes Eye Irritation Headaches Neck or Back Pain People with existing vision issues are even more at risk to Computer Vision Syndrome. Eye strain isn’t only annoying, it can lead to health issues. Not to mention that when your eyes start bothering you your performance drops, you slow down, you become less creative. Not good for a designer. Smartphones are just as bad as computer screens. A study out of the United States predicts that 2 out of every 3 Americans will experience eye strain caused by excessive use of their phone. I'm sure the same applies in most countries