Are you Suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome?

We live in the Information Age and that is pretty exciting, isn’t it?  It’s brought on a massive change in our society.  Careers are built around technology and the average person is the new media.

Many of us spend hours and hours in front of a computer screen working.  Have you ever finished a long day at work and found yourself struggling with blurred vision, eyestrain and headaches?  You might have Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) caused by prolonged computer use.

Now just think about your kids and their eyes.  Did you know that Canadian youth spend on average, 6 hours a day and more than 7 hours on weekends in front a screen?

Your eyes are adapted for a 3-D world so having to focus on a 2-D screen for long periods of time cause your eyes to work harder to maintain a clear image.  This is what causes CVS and results in that blurred vision, eyestrain and headaches that you and your family members may experience after prolonged computer use.

My family manages to minimise CVS by reducing screen time and we really limit screen time with our girls.  Of course, limiting and reducing screen time is really only viable as a solution for part of the time. 

As a blogger I spend hours and hours in front of my screen working;  I just couldn’t do this without excessive screen time.  I try to ensure my screen is positioned correctly to help reduce CVS, but I can admit to suffering from it pretty often myself.

Thankfully there is another solution, the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds and look 20 feet away.  In fact The Ontario Association of Optometrists came up with a pretty relaxing aid for the 20/20/20 rule with their 20-second daydreams to help you break bad screen time habits.  Seriously.  So relaxing, it’s genius!

If you think you or one of your family members might be at risk of or suffering from CVS then visit your optometrist to learn more about how you can protect your family from CVS today. Click here to find one near you.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Ontario Association of Optometrists. The opinions and language are all my own.

Elizabeth Lampman

Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!