In today’s world, students, young adults, and — let’s face it, all of us — are logging far more hours than ever staring at screens. For students especially, screen time is more than just entertainment. It means schoolwork, studying, texting, social media, work, and connecting with friends. Sadly, it’s not unusual for hours to pass without realizing how long you’ve been focused on a screen.
As a parent, you may have noticed your kids rubbing their eyes after doing homework. College students may battle tired, achy eyes after a long night of studying. Young adults may finish their eight-hour workdays with headaches, blurry vision, or eyes that feel simply exhausted.
Each of these symptoms can be a sign of digital eye strain. While there are various ways to make screen time easier on your eyes — and various strategies to cut down on screen time — one option worth discussing with your optometrist is anti-fatigue lenses.
What Are Anti-Fatigue Lenses?
Anti-fatigue lenses are a pair of prescription glasses especially designed to make it easier for your eyes to focus on close-up tasks for extended periods of time. They look exactly like an ordinary pair of prescription lenses but incorporate a small “boost” of additional focusing power in the lower portion of the lens.
Why does that help?
When you look at something up close, such as a laptop, tablet or phone, you are essentially asking your eyes to work much harder to maintain that close focus for an extended period. When you do this for hours at a time, the constant focusing demand can contribute to eye fatigue and discomfort.
Your regular, single-vision prescription lenses provide the same prescription throughout most or all of the lens. Anti-fatigue lenses are different, because they provide your distance prescription while adding a subtle boost that helps your eyes complete their up-close tasks, AKA extended screen time.
They aren’t reading glasses. And they absolutely do not mean your eyes are failing. They are simply providing your eyes with additional support for the significant visual demands of today’s evolving modern lifestyle.
Who Should Consider Anti-Fatigue Lenses?
So, who might benefit from this superpower-like visual boost? Almost everyone who stares at screens.
Students and young adults who spend a significant amount of their time on laptop computers, tablets, and other digital devices are ideal candidates. Anti-fatigue lenses or “computer glasses” may be particularly helpful for anyone who regularly experiences tired eyes, headaches, difficulty maintaining comfortable focus, or feels that heavy, visual fatigue after prolonged near work. In other words? We could probably all benefit from a pair.
A comprehensive eye exam is the best way to determine whether anti-fatigue lenses can help you or your student. Not every patient needs them, and we will recommend lenses based on each student’s individual prescription, age, visual demands, and symptoms.
6 Ways to Reduce Digital Eye Strain
Whether you wear anti-fatigue lenses or not, how you use your screens matters. The following habits can make a big difference in how your eyes feel during and after screen use.
- Follow the 20-20-20 rule.
Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for about 20 seconds — to give your eyes an opportunity to relax from sustained close focusing.
Pro tip: Set a timer every 20 minutes until it becomes a habit.
- Pay attention to screen position.
Your computer monitor should generally be about an arm’s length away, with the top of the screen at, or slightly below, eye level. This positioning represents a comfortable viewing angle that may reduce strain on your eyes and neck.
For phones and tablets: Don’t hold the device extremely close to your face. Give your eyes some working distance if possible.
- Remember to blink.
Humans blink about 15 times per minute, naturally lubricating the eye with tear film. But when staring at screens, that number plummets to 5 to 7 blinks per minute. No wonder your eyes feel tired! Fewer blinks dry out the surface of your eyes, contributing to burning, irritation and other unwelcome dry eye symptoms.
Pro tip: Make a conscious, intentional effort to blink your eyes fully and frequently, especially during marathon screen usage.
- Manage glare.
Glare from windows, overhead lights, and reflective surfaces make your eyes work harder to do their job. Position your screen so it minimizes reflections, and adjust screen brightness so it isn’t dramatically brighter or darker than the ambient light. You don’t have to go as dim as you can, just create a more comfortable balance between the screen and your environment.
- Take real breaks.
The 20-20-20 rule definitely helps, but longer breaks matter, too. Step away from your computer or phone between assignments, classes, or work sessions.
One strong choice: Spend some time outside. Looking at natural objects at varying distances —flowers, birds, trees — gives your eyes a break from constant, close-up focusing.
- Talk with your optometrist about your lens options.
If screens are a major part of your student’s (or your own) daily routine, let’s talk about it during your next eye exam.
Your optometrist will evaluate your vision, ask about your symptoms, and determine whether anti-fatigue lenses or another lens option can provide you with some relief.
Your Eyes Were Not Designed for an Entire Day of Screens
Technology isn’t going away—even though some wish it would. You can’t eliminate screen time altogether. So as a compromise, let us help you make the visual demands of our digital world more manageable.
For kids heading back to school, college students settling into a new semester, and young adults “adulting”, adopting healthy screen habits can go a long way toward keeping eyes comfortable.
The right lenses can help, too.
If your eyes feel tired by day’s end, contact us to schedule an exam with your optometrist and find out if your eyes may benefit from a little extra support. Sometimes it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference!