Smart working is having negative consequences on the health of Italians. Many experience a psychological malaise, others have posture problems. But not only that: work from home and distance learning can affect the well-being of the eyes. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid this. Here’s how to protect eye health from the dangers of smart working.
Why spending too many hours in front of the PC is bad for the eyes
Between 70 and 90% of people working in front of a screen suffer from a disorder known as computer vision syndrome. The causes are many: from the blue light emitted by the screens, to the fact that when you stare at the PC your eyelids close less. In fact, if under conditions you blink 17-20 times a minute, in front of a screen the frequency is reduced to 12-15 times.
The consequences can be a burning sensation and eye fatigue, but also neck pain. Also, the classic computer headache sets in. All these problems have been exacerbated by smart working, which leads to spending more time in front of the computer. The eye health alarm does not only affect adults, but also children engaged in distance learning. As for the little ones, there is an extra danger: spending too many hours in front of the screen can cause myopia.
How to avoid computer vision syndrome
Faced with these problems, we ask ourselves: how to protect eye health from the dangers of smart working? First, it is important that adults and children remember to take breaks. On the other hand, even the laws for safety at work provide for a break of 10 minutes for every hour spent in front of the screen. Better still follow the 20-20-20 rule, which provides a stop of 20 seconds after 20 minutes spent staring at the PC. During the break, one should look at a point at least 20 feet away. Furthermore, it is important that posture and lighting are adequate. Finally, it is imperative to avoid working or taking lessons in a too dry environment. It may therefore be useful to humidify the room.
