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Split keyboards, footrests, an assortment of chair types and even desks that can be raised to different heights; most of us are familiar with the many ergonomic resource options in the office that can make our long days (and sometimes nights) in front of a computer more manageable. One part of the body that is often overlooked in these measures is our eyes. Although it seems like it should be the most obvious part of the body that needs to be cared for as we glare into the light of our displays for hours on end, many of us simply ignore the dry or watery eyes, headaches, eye soreness, stiff neck or shoulders, difficulty keeping eyes open, or other signs of eye strain that we may be experiencing. Whether it is our phones, computers or tablets, working in front of any screen for extended periods of time can cause eye strain. This article explores a handful of options that may bring you some reprieve.
Dark Mode
Although there may be a bit of an adjustment period, using Dark Mode is often preferred on a device, especially after experiencing eye strain, as a way to soothe your eyes when work still needs to be done. Dark Mode is the inversion of the color scheme on your device, so rather than a light background with dark font, there is a dark background with light or white font. These settings are available on almost all phones, tablets, computers and even within many applications such as YouTube, Gmail and more.
While Dark Mode may provide some temporary relief, it is not always better for your eyes and can actually lead to more eye strain depending upon the lighting of your surroundings, specifically if you are in a well-lit sunny room. Additionally, according to the Bureau of Internet Accessibility, both people with dyslexia and those with an astigmatism may have increased accessibility issues navigating in Dark Mode.
Reducing blue light
Unlike Dark Mode, reducing the blue light does not invert colors but changes the overall temperature to a warmer glow (like a candle) over the course of time. Both Microsoft and Apple acknowledge that warmer screen colors are generally easier on your eyes at night and in otherwise low-light conditions. They also both note in their documentation that exposure to blue light, especially in the evenings, may make it difficult to fall asleep. As a result, each has created a solution to assist with emitting warmer colors in the evenings to provide benefits to your eye and sleep health.
Windows Night Light: With its introduction of Windows 10, Microsoft released a setting called “Night Light” within the platform. By going into the settings of Windows, choosing System, Display and finally Night Light, a user can toggle whether or not to turn on the “Night Light.” This setting will either be from sunset to sunrise or can be customized to set hours by the user. During this time, the computer will automatically begin to show warmer colors on the display. However, this setting is not available if certain drivers are used on your computer.
Mac Night Shift: Similarly, Mac offers a setting called “Night Shift” that can be enabled through the Apple menu, System Settings, Displays, then Night Shift. From the schedule menu that appears, the setting can be turned off, custom times can be set or it can be enabled from sunset to sunrise, which will be determined based upon the location set for you under location services.
f.lux: Microsoft and Apple settings provide evening options, but a third-party software called f.lux shifts the temperature of the light all throughout the day: sunlight during the day and warm temperatures at night. By downloading the software and entering a location, the lighting temperature emitted throughout the day will automatically adjust on your computer. It may be jarring at first to see an almost orange glow to the screen, but as you begin to work it will be noticeably easier on your eyes. The settings can be temporarily disabled when needed, such as if you are sharing screens with someone else and it becomes a nuisance to them.
This software has been helpful to me with eye strain during long “all-nighter” projects and even with the usual day-to-day work that sometimes leads to headaches or even migraines. It is free on Windows for personal use. There are corporate and site licenses available for a very nominal fee.
While these setting changes are helpful to get the tasks done, it is obviously important to make sure you are giving your eyes plenty of break from staring into a screen and following up on your eye health regularly.•
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Deanna Marquez ([email protected]) is a co-owner of the Indianapolis based legal technology company Modern Information Solutions LLC. Areas of service include traditional IT services, software training and litigation support including trial presentation services. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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