NORTHFIELD — While families stay home during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many are facing a significant increase in screen time while they try to conduct their work and daily tasks. So how might they seek to minimize the subsequent eye strain?
Minimizing screen time and eye strain was exactly the topic Pioneer Valley Regional School District Superintendent Jonathan Scagel sought to address during a filmed interview he conducted last week with Dr. Theresa Ruggiero of Northampton Vision Specialists.
Ruggiero, who has more than 20 years of experience in private practice, is a recognized authority on developmental and behavioral optometry and vision therapy. In the 13-minute interview, she and Scagel discuss the new reality of working from home, increased screen time, and recommendations for coping with increased screen use and minimizing eye strain.
“All of us, no matter our age, are on screens more than we used to be,” Ruggiero said.
Eye strain affects everyone differently. For some, strain can present itself as a headache, while others may even experience fatigue or irritability. While blurred vision is a direct indication that the eyes are overworked, too much screen time and eye strain can affect more than just clarity of vision.
While eye strain is likely to affect hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness, cognitive clarity and function can also be impacted. According to Ruggiero, 70 percent of the average person’s sensory input comes from visual information. Ruggiero said it can get harder and harder to process information, and so productivity decreases. To help stay healthy and productive, she offered some tips for minimizing visual strain from screens.
The first tip is the “20-20-20 Rule.” Every 20 minutes, look away from the screen and focus for 20 seconds on something that is at least 20 feet away. This is meant to help “reset” your visual input-output system, and improve the ability to remain visually and mentally focused on a task. After three consecutive hours, stop screen use and spend at least 30 minutes doing something completely different.
The size of the screen also makes a difference. When selecting a device, try to use the largest screen available at the farthest working distance possible. The smaller the screen, and the closer it’s held, the more likely it is to cause eye strain.
Additionally, screens should be placed so as to minimize glare and reflections. Windows and lights should be to the side of the screen rather than in front of or behind it. To test for unwanted glare or reflections, turn off the device and look for any reflections off the screen.
“Vision is so much more than being able to see clearly,” Ruggiero said. “It’s the sustained gathering of visual input and processing. A person might take information in, but if they’re worn out from looking at a screen for too long, that strain impacts their ability to process and retain information.”
The interview between Scagel and Ruggiero was filmed by Bernardston-Northfield Community Television, and is available for viewing at bnctv.net or on YouTube at bit.ly/2VeBOhp. The full list of tips for minimizing eye strain is available on the Northampton Vision Specialists’ website, northamptonvision.net.
Scagel sent the finished video to district families last week ahead of April break, and thanked teachers and families for their work during the shift to remote learning. To take a break from studies this week, he encourages students to se him emails or short videos of the fun things they are doing to scagel@pvrsdk12.org.