It’s not the avian flu, it’s not the common cold and it certainly isn’t the second coming of the small pox epidemic, but it certainly is plaguing victims on a global scale and at an ever increasing rate.
They’re calling it “Computer Vision Syndrome” and while it may not be your doc’s exact diagnosis, it is, in fact real. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: eyestrain, severe headaches, clouded vision, pain in the neck and shoulder region and ultimately, death.
Just kidding about that last one.
However, the newest tech-derived condition does affect seventy percent of all computer users and as our eyes absorb the ever-growing glare of our multiple devices, it doesn’t show signs of letting up any time soon. But is it more than simply physical discomfort and a nagging lecture from your parents to go outside and breathe in some nature?
The American Optometric Association claims that, aside from a sore neck and reason to pop an Advil, CVS can lead to long-distance vision impairment and permanently blurred eyesight. I’m not trying to personify the terrifying role of a human WebMD.
Are you going to suddenly spiral into convulsions mid-YouTube video? No, probably not.
Are you at risk for a formidable future of unnerving delays in the Optometrist’s office down the road? It’s a lot more likely if you are staring into the fluorescent face of your laptop from breakfast to sunset.
I’m not a hippie, I’m not a killjoy and, above all else, I am certainly not a doctor. I’m a fucking English major. However, I do think that the amount of time we spend relentlessly scrutinizing our devices when we could be diverting our eyes to more wholesome, visual nutrition is detrimental not only to our social skills, but to our health. I’m also not an idiot. I don’t think you’re going to read this, slam your MacBook shut in fervent enthusiasm and join a nudist colony in opposition to the arms race of technology.
I’m typing this on a computer and you’re, more than likely, reading this on a computer. We love ‘em like cold, metal brothers and they absolutely aren’t going anywhere. I’m simply suggesting that, as with all important life endeavors, you should maintain conscientiousness about what you’re doing and never let ignorance become your bliss. Open your weary eyes to preventatives.
As you study, surf and Stumble Upon through finals week, do so mindfully. CVS is caused by the obvious culprits: poor posture, bad lighting and screen glare to name a few. However, these offenders are rarely corrected, or even cross our minds as we viciously press through a twenty-page dissertation. Work under natural lighting as frequently as possible, blink like they’re paying you for it and sit up straight, you animal. If you’re neurotically methodic, you can engage the 20-20-20 rule: Every twenty minutes take twenty seconds to look at an object roughly twenty feet away from your immediate line of vision. An anti-glare screen filter can also deflect eye-damaging luminescence.
And for God’s sake, go get some fresh air. Your practice tests can wait, but your eyeballs aren’t as disposable as the time you waste perusing Netflix.
Source: TheAtlantic
