Screen time is almost unavoidable in today’s digital landscape. On average, people are spending over 7 hours per day looking at their displays. Whether you’re reading through documents to finish a work project or reviewing your lecture notes to get a head start for your final exams, your eyes are working hard. With the widespread occurrence of Digital Eye Strain, setting up an eye-friendly display for work or study is no longer optional.
The guide will dive into what the best display settings, ergonomic factors, and technology choices are (hint: a flexible monitor) to ensure your eye comfort, ward off potential damage, and optimize productivity for long periods of work or study.
Eye Strain Symptoms and Causes
Eye strain from digital device use (DES) is a condition that may be caused by over-exposure to screens. Symptoms include:
- Dry or Watery Eyes
- Blurred vision
- Headaches
- Difficulty focusing
- Neck and Shoulder Pain
DES, also referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), can often be a harmless nuisance or a side effect of poor ergonomics and display setup. While this doesn’t typically pose a serious or long-term health threat to your vision, it can negatively impact your focus, work efficiency, and overall comfort if it’s not properly managed or mitigated. Adjusting your display settings and adopting a few health-conscious eye care practices can help reduce or eliminate symptoms.
Essential Display Settings for Eye Comfort
From brightness and resolution to refresh rate and color temperature, there are a few key adjustments to keep in mind when setting up an eye-friendly display for work and study.
1. Brightness and Contrast
Why it matters: Too much brightness or dimness can force your eyes to adjust and work harder than needed.
Maintain consistent, similar levels of brightness between your screen and the ambient lighting conditions of the room you’re in. If it’s a well-lit, bright office, your screen should not be dark, and vice versa. Automatically adjust brightness if possible (automatic brightness adjustment can be enabled on your device settings). However, manually calibrating to fit your environment is often more accurate.
Set appropriate contrast. Make sure text and images are clearly visible, but not so intense that they cause glare.
Tip: For indoor work, calibrate your screen to around 100–150 cd/m² (the cd/m² will be different depending on your environment. If needed, you can use online calibration tools or some pre-installed software calibration tools to test the best brightness setting for you.)
2. Blue Light Reduction
Why it matters: Blue light can disrupt your circadian rhythm by reducing melatonin production, leading to sleep cycle disruptions and general eye fatigue.
Look for built-in blue light filter mode or “Night Mode” on your monitor. Activating this feature can help minimize the amount of blue light emitted without significantly impacting color accuracy.
Explore your options for Night Mode, such as Night Shift on macOS, Night Light on Windows, or downloadable apps like f.lux, to have your display automatically change its color temperature to a warmer, less blue-tinged hue in the evenings.
3. Refresh Rate and Flicker-Free Technology
Why it matters: Low refresh rates and screen flicker (invisible or otherwise) can lead to long-term headaches and temporary discomfort.
Choose monitors with higher refresh rates (aim for at least 60Hz, 120Hz or more is best). Opt for a flexible monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother scrolling experience and reduced eye fatigue while reading through documents or cycling through windows.
Look for flicker-free displays or screens that use DC dimming instead of PWM (pulse-width modulation), which is a technology that can cause invisible flickering.
4. Font Size and Screen Resolution
Why it matters: Cramped text on a screen with a high pixel density can cause your eyes to strain and lead to eye fatigue.
Select at least Full HD (1920×1080) as the resolution to ensure crisp text and image quality. A 22 inch computer monitor is also typically a great size for work, with plenty of space for reading and multitasking without taking up too much room on a desk.
Use DPI scaling on your computer (125%-150% scaling for 4K, for example) and use sans-serif fonts, like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri to make fonts appear more readable on-screen.
Hardware Factors: Monitor Selection
Optimizing your display settings is just half the battle. If the technology you’re using to work or study is outdated or low-quality, the right settings will only get you so far. Keep a few key points in mind when deciding what to buy:
1. Screen Size and Viewing Distance
A 22–24 inch monitor is typically ideal for desktop setups. Larger than this, and you risk your eyes being forced to re-focus more often.
Maintain a distance of 20 to 30 inches (approximately 1 arm’s length) from the screen. The top of the display should be at or slightly below eye level.
If you’re in the market for a new work monitor, a 22 inch computer monitor with a large enough display to see clearly but not overwhelmingly large is usually an ideal choice for home office and traditional work settings.
2. Anti-Glare and Matte Screen Finish
Reflective, glossy screens are far more taxing to your eyes than those with a matte finish. Choose an anti-glare monitor or matte display, especially if your desk is near a window or other bright light source.
3. Portability and Ergonomics
A best portable monitor is a great choice for students and remote workers who need flexibility in placement or may work across multiple devices.
Portable, flexible monitors that offer height adjustments, touchscreen functionality, and versatile USB-C connectivity are great for working in different environments, whether that’s the library, your local coffee shop, a dorm, or even shared workspaces.
4. Color Accuracy and Temperature
Cool (blue-toned) displays can be overly bright, increasing glare and eyestrain. Select monitors with color temperature controls and transition to warmer tones at night. Look for a monitor with 100% sRGB coverage for accurate, non-distracting colors that are crisp and not oversaturated.
Easy and Effective Eye Care Habits for Work and Study
Display settings are a big part of eye comfort, but certain habits can help prevent long-term damage and keep your eye comfort on point.
1. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule
After looking at a screen for 20 minutes, shift your focus to an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This practice can help to reduce near-point stress and reduce the fatigue experienced in your eye muscles.
2. Blink Regularly
We tend to blink less when looking at screens, which dries our eyes out. Make a conscious effort to blink more frequently or consider using lubricating eye drops if necessary.
3. Manage Ambient Light Sources
Try to work in a well-lit space, without harsh overhead or directional light sources. Try to avoid working in dimly lit rooms (too much brightness contrast on your display) or overly bright areas.
4. Adjust Backgrounds of Text
For work involving more reading, use black text on a white or off-white background for the least impact. Avoid using harsh color combinations or white text on black for extended periods.
5. Screen Tilt and Height Adjustments
Position your monitor so that it’s tilted slightly upward (10°–20°). You should be looking slightly down at the monitor rather than straight ahead, or worse, looking up.
Monitor Tech That Cares About Your Eyes
The newest wave of monitors are made with eye comfort in mind and offer a number of features that reduce the harmful effects of long-term exposure.
Look for ambient light sensors that automatically adjust the brightness of your display to your environment, built-in eye protection modes, and adaptive color temperature features that match the time of day.
Opt for a flexible monitor or best portable monitor that offers flexibility with monitor arms and can be adjusted to your exact specifications. The latest crop of portable and foldable monitors can also help you avoid overstuffing a single screen when studying or multitasking.
A flexible monitor or best portable monitor can also come with energy-efficient LED backlighting, eco-conscious energy consumption, and other advances in glare reduction and energy efficiency that also help make screen time healthier.
Know When to Visit a Doctor
For most people, adjusting their display and adopting a few healthy eye care habits can be enough to relieve eye strain or ward it off. However, if you’re experiencing persistent or unusual symptoms, it may be time to schedule an eye exam.
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Blurry vision that persists
- Difficulty focusing at different distances
- Abnormal eye pain even after rest
Regularly scheduled checkups can rule out more serious conditions like astigmatism, dry eye syndrome, or the need for corrective lenses.
Wrapping Up
Our interaction with screens is only evolving. Whether you’re using a desktop monitor for work or a tablet for online classes, the implications are real, and they’re not going away. Fortunately, with the right settings, ergonomic positioning, and a few small tweaks, you can optimize your eye comfort and maintain your vision.
Investing in a higher-quality piece of technology is often worth the cost, and a 22 inch computer monitor or eye-conscious, feature-packed flexible monitor are great places to start. You don’t have to give up portability for eye health, either. A best portable monitor can protect your eye comfort without compromising your needs.
Take care of your eyes.
