With video games continuously growing in popularity worldwide, various research studies have highlighted gaming as an interactive medium that promotes mental health and social connection. Additionally, a previous post on the advantages of gaming points out how high-speed, first-person perspective video games can also improve essential visual skills, such as recognizing subtle differences in color and contrast. However, health experts remain concerned with how prolonged gaming can compromise gamers’ vision and overall eye health if done excessively. While it doesn’t directly cause permanent eye damage, prolonged gaming without significant breaks can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS). Also known as digital eye strain, CVS is a set of visual symptoms resulting from the digital screen and ocular surface, including eye fatigue, strain, blurred vision, and dry eyes. CVS can also worsen existing vision problems like refractive errors, but practicing the following eye care tips can help gamers protect their vision without compromising the overall gaming experience.
1. Take breaks
As previously mentioned, it is not video games themselves but the excessive hours of playing that can be detrimental to your vision. To ensure you don’t keep playing until your eyes dry and tire out, take regular breaks and follow the 20-20-20 rule, which reminds you to look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes of screen time. You can also integrate proper eye rest into your gaming routine by setting gameplay time limits on native apps for iOS and Android or stepping away from the screen before starting a new match.
2. Wear blue light-blocking glasses
The digital screens of gaming devices like computer monitors and smartphones emit blue light, a color in the visible light spectrum that alerts and wakes you up but may also increase the risk of CVS through prolonged exposure. Consequently, eye doctors recommend wearing blue light glasses while gaming as they will filter the blue-violet light from the screen to preserve your overall visual comfort. Aside from affordable frames that suit your style and preferences for gaming glasses, optical retailer Eyebuydirect offers blue light glasses with additional lens options for prescription and protective features like anti-scratch, anti-glare, and reading enhancement.
3. Maintain proper distance from the screen
Maintaining the proper posture while gaming can also make a huge difference in your eye health. The American Optometric Association recommends considering ergonomic practices like keeping a safe distance from your device, at least 20 inches for large screens and 13 inches for smaller devices. Make sure your eyes are level with the monitor by adjusting the screen height or putting it on a stack of books. You can also raise or lower your chair height so as to not strain your neck while looking at the screen for prolonged periods.
4. Adjust the lighting of your gaming setup
Regardless of what time you play, ensure that your room’s or environment’s brightness is similar to screen brightness to avoid excessive squinting. Although digital devices typically have a built-in setting for screen brightness, using a computer monitor like the OMEN 27u 4K Gaming Monitor helps you adjust your eye better across multiple display setups. Aside from improving game immersion, the monitor also comes with HP Eye Ease with Eyesafe certification to reduce blue light exposure and the risk of eye strain while playing.
Whether you’re an experienced gamer or a beginner, protecting your vision is crucial to eye care and the quality of your gaming experience. For more tips and resources on everything related to gaming, check out the other articles here at GameSpace.
