By Charlotte Lew
The switch from in-person to online learning this year has caused tremendous mental stress on both the students and the teacher. However, there are some physical impacts of online learning too. Online classes and work have made students and teachers use their computers and other electronic devices more frequently and for longer amounts of time. This can cause eyestrain, the feeling of dryness and irritation in the eyes.
Eyestrain is a term that people use to describe tiredness in the eyes. Whenever the eyes are used too intensely or for too long, people describe the discomfort as eye strain. It isn’t anything serious and usually goes away after resting the eyes. Some common symptoms of eyestrain are soreness and itchiness in the eyes, watery or dry eyes, blurred or double vision, and increased sensitivity to light. Eyestrain can be caused by many factors. Computers and other electronic devices are an example, but other instances where precision and focusing is needed like driving can also cause eye strain. Electronic devices are the main reasons for eyestrain because people who use them frequently get exposed to excessive blue light.
The main source of blue light is from sunlight. When the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet light of the sun is combined, it appears as the white light that we see during day time. Each of the colors have a different wavelength and energy and they are inversely related.. For example, rays on the red end have longer wavelengths and less energy, while the rays on the blue end have shorter wavelengths with more energy. This makes the blue light more intense and harder on eyes. Blue light is also called blue-violet or violet light and is the most similar to the UV (ultraviolet) radiation just past the visible light spectrum. UV radiation is especially harmful to anything living on Earth, so the Earth has its own ozone layer to protect life on it. Because the blue light rays are the most similar to the UV radiation rays, it makes blue light the most harmful of the ones in the visible light spectrum. In addition to the blue light, electronic devices also have a glare or reflection in them and that can also cause or worsen eye strain. People also blink less while using computers. Blinking is key to moistening the eyes and blinking less frequently can lead to dryness and soreness.
Because of the less than ideal circumstance the world is currently in, converting to the digital world is needed and has made the use of electronics necessary. However, there are many at-home remedies for eyestrain. For example, frequent breaks will allow eyes to rest once in a while. Many people use blue light glasses that help block some of the blue light and many electronic devices have a setting to reduce blue light.
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