Chances are that you are reading this from a smartphone. These days, more people connect to the internet through a smartphone than through a computer. Smartphones have come to be an integral part of our lives. This is because of the many things that can be done on them. We can use our smartphones to watch movies, browse the internet, read books, type documents, and more. There are people who have replaced their laptops with some phones because using a phone is more convenient and, most times, straightforward. The point here is we use our phones for so many things, meaning we stare at the screens a lot.
One very key feature of a smartphone is how big the screen is. These days, there are phones with screens 6 inches and more. That is a lot of screen estate. While such screens would be very good to watch videos with, they also possess problems of their own as they would be reflecting a lot of light to your eyes. Smartphone screens can get so bright and they display a range of colours. This can cause headaches and even affect one’s eyesight. This could also lead to a problem known as digital eye strain (DES). Some of the common symptoms include red eyes, eye twitching, blurry vision, and so on.
The good thing is there are things you can do to protect your eyes from being damaged by your phone screen, and we would be looking at some of those tips here today.
Keep Your Brightness Level Moderate
There is a problem with using your phone at maximum brightness and also a problem with using it at low brightness. These two extremes are just as bad. The right thing to do is to keep your brightness at moderate levels. To make things easier for yourself, keep your phone on auto-brightness. That way, your smartphone would automatically adjust to the light around you, increasing and reducing the brightness when necessary.
Apply Filters
Most new smartphones come with something called “blue light filter”. Phones emit a lot of blue light which can cause eye strain and can damage the retina over time. Applying a blue light would help to reduce the amount of blue light being emitted, giving you a warmer display that keeps your eyes safer. You can also put your phone on ‘night mode’ or ‘dark mode’. This reduces many of the bright and white areas in your phone.
Use An Anti-Glare Screen Protector
Using a screen protector on your phone not only protects the screen from damage but also protects your eyes as well. Using an anti-glare screen guard would greatly reduce the amount of light coming out of your phone. This is because an anti-glare screen guard contains a special non-reflective coating.
Keep You’re a Safe Distance From Your Eyes
One habit you should maintain when using your smartphone is to keep it at a safe distance away from your eyes. Rather than bring it to your chin, try and keep it level with your chest. If you have a problem reading the text or identifying icons, you can always make them bigger in the settings menu.
Take A Break
Ideally, you should take breaks when using your phone. Avoid going 2 hours and more without turning away from your screen. You can follow the 20/20/20 rule, which states that you should stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. Meaning, if you have used your phone for 20 minutes, put it down and stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This would help to rest your eyes. Alternatively, you can take a 15-minute break every 45 minutes. The goal here is to take breaks to protect your eyes.
Bottom Line
Staring at your phone screen for too long can be damaging to your eyes. This helpful articles shows you how to protect your eyes from phone screen glare. Heed to them lowering your screen brightness, reducing phone use at night, using a blue light filter, and taking a break.
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Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.
