When you spend several hours in front of a screen without a break, it undoubtedly can have negative effects on both your eye health and overall wellbeing.
It doesn’t matter which field you are in nowadays; everyone needs a computer screen to complete daily tasks.
Let’s read this article till the end to know how much time you should spend in front of a monitor.
Let’s dive into:
How much time I should spend in front of a monitor
Generally, we are blinking 15 to 20 times per minute, but it reduces to 5 times while using the monitor.
By using digital devices, the blink rate reduces to half of three times the extended usage also causes dry eyes.
In order to get the best out of your monitor, you must follow the 20-20 rule to take a break after every 20 minutes and sit 20 feet from the monitor to relax your eyes.
Disadvantages of spending time in front of the monitor
Long screen time is one of the biggest issues among the monitor’s users; generally, 11 hr is the most common screen time for a day.
But most research describes that screen time of more than 6 hours causes health issues and increases the risk of depression.
Now the exports prefer 2 hours of screen time to avoid serious health issues.
1. Eye strain
Eye strain is one of the common health issues due to long screen time; it is also caused by the long usage of the monitor for a long time.
A monitor produces lots of light, including blue light, which causes eye strain and fatigue.
The long usage of the monitor also causes dry eyes, which can cause itchy and irritates your eyes.
In order to reduce eye strain, you should use glasses which are helpful for reducing the emission of blue light.
2. Sleep deprivation
Staring in front of the monitor for a long time causes your brain to stay awake and keep the pupil active at night.
Extended usage of the monitor can also cause your body to have difficulty distinguishing between nighttime and sleep time.
It can cause sleep deprivation and insomnia. It can also cause temporary memory loss.
The lack of sleep can also increase the chances of prostate cancer.
In order to avoid any health issues, you must avoid using the monitor or any other digital devices before 1 to 2 hours of sleep.
3. Body pain
The prolonged usage of the monitor can also cause body pain. It is due to the wrong posture for long hours.
It is not only short-term pain. It may lead to long-term body pain; the wrong posture also causes MSDs.
In order to avoid health issues, you must sit in the right posture while using the monitor.
4. Anxiety and depression
Regular usage of the monitor or any digital device is addictive to any age of people, and they feel bored and depressed when they are not close to the monitor or devices.
Extended periods of time can cause anxiety and depression.
5. Reduces physical activity
When you spend a long time in front of the screen, then you can not take part in physical activities like sports, exercise, and walking.
When you’re not taking part in any physical activity, it increases the chances of obesity and heart disease, and other health issues.
Here are some tips to avoid the risk of health issues while using the monitor
You can not totally avoid the risk of health issues while using the monitor for long hours, but you can minimize the health issues by following these tips.
1. Avoid screen glare
Spending too much time in front of the monitor also increases the glare and makes the eyes work harder.
Follow these tips to avoid glare:
1. Avoid setting up your monitor from a direct light source, including the sun
2. Sit opposite to the direct light while sitting in front of the monitor
3. Move any light, like a desk light, away from the monitor
4. Use the single drape to offset the sunlight to reflect the screen
2. Take regular breaks
You should take regular breaks while using the monitor for long hours as it helps your eyes take rest.
In order to avoid potential health issues, you must use the 20-20 rule. It is the rule to take a break after every 20 minutes.
Then focus 20 seconds on any object 20 feet away from your desk. You should also take a break for 5 to 10 minutes after every hour of usage.
3. Eye exercise
You should also do some eye exercises while taking proper breaks. It will help you to relax your eyes.
In order to do the exercise, stare at the 8 feet of the floor for 30 seconds from one direction to the other.
You can also stare at the green grass and trees for 5 to 20 minutes to relax your eyes.
4. Position your body
It is another important factor in reducing the health issue due to using the monitor for long hours. By positioning your body, you can align your body, neck, and back.
Here are a few tips:
1. Invest in a chair that has a compatible height and support for an aligned body
2. Your back should be 100 to the 135 degrees
3. For the ideal sitting position, your feet should be flat on the ground, and lower the c leg from a 90-degree angle at the knee.
FAQ
Is 7 hours of screen time bad?
The time you spend in front of the screen directly affects your health and brain; it causes anxiety and depression.
If you spend more than 7 hours in front of screen, you will most likely suffer from depression.
What is healthy screen time per day?
The time of 2 hours is considered enough for a day because the usage can cause serious health issues.
How long is it okay to look at a screen?
You should follow the 20-20 rule in order to avoid potential health issues; it is the rule of taking a break after every 20 minutes.
Then look at any object for 20 seconds which should be 20 feet away from you, then slightly blink your eyes, then open your eyes.
Wrapping Up
The time you spend in front of the monitor depends on your working style, lifestyle, and health considerations.
While the prolonged usage of the monitor can cause eye strain and fatigue, it also leads to headaches and increases the risk of depression and anxiety.
So in order to avoid any serious health issues, you should follow the 20-20 rule. It is the rule of taking a break after every 20 minutes and looking for 20 seconds on any object which is 20 feet away from you.