Can Sitting Too Close to Your Screen Damage Your Vision?

As far as I know, most photographers and videographers tend to edit their own content. This generally means that most of them spend a great deal of their time in front of a screen. Is all of that screen time causing damage to our eyes? 

In a recent video from Tech quickie, they take a look at this issue and try to answer the question. Does sitting in front of a screen for long periods of time cause damage to our eyes? When your eyes have to look closely at a subject, the muscles that help us focus contract. If these muscles remain contracted for a long period of time, our eyes can get tired, similar to any contracting muscle in the body. 

With help from Dr. Argawal, the video linked above discusses this subject in some detail and provides some meaningful answers. Our health is extremely important, and for many creatives in our particular line of work, having healthy eyes is especially important. I'm sure most of us already know how important it is to take regular breaks from our screens. On the NHS website, it describes how short, regular breaks are better than fewer, longer breaks. It's also important for us to make sure that our seating position and room lighting have been set to prevent any harm too. 

I imagine that in the current environment, many of us may be sitting in front of our computers for longer periods. Please ensure you're looking after yourself, even in isolation. 

Usman Dawood's picture

Usman Dawood is a professional architectural photographer based in the UK.

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3 Comments

The entire modern generation will be completely nearsighted in 10 years.

Unfortunately, you may be right.

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