2019 New Year’s Resolution: Give Your Eyes a Rest
December 27 2018 - 9:23AM
Business Wire
Unum poll finds 40 percent of adults spend 12+
hours on devices each day
It’s the time of year when many Americans resolve to eat
healthier, get more exercise or save more money. But a new
resolution in this digital-crazed culture should be to give your
eyes a break from too much screen time. A recent poll by employee
benefits company Unum (NYSE: UNM) found that 40 percent of U.S.
adults are spending more than 12 hours a day on various digital
devices such as cell phones, tablets and laptops.1 In the same
study, 34 percent of people said they feel they spend too much time
on their devices.
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A 2018 study from employee benefits
company Unum found that nearly 40 percent of adults in the United
States spend more than 12 hours a day looking at various digital
devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and television
screens. (Graphic: Business Wire)
An emerging and serious side effect of extended use of digital
devices can be digital eye strain. Signs can include headaches, eye
fatigue, burning, stinging, redness, watering, blurred vision or
even pain in the neck and shoulders after extended time on
devices.
While respondents to the Unum poll are experiencing eye strain,
they don’t anticipate their use of devices to decrease much in the
coming years:
- Top reported side effects of extended
use of digital devices included sore neck, shoulders or back (31
percent), sore, tired, burning or itchy eyes (25 percent), headache
(21 percent), watery or dry eyes (20 percent), and blurred or
double vision (19 percent).
- Women reported a higher incidence rate
of each of these side effects than men.
- Twenty-seven percent of respondents
expect their use of digital devices to increase or dramatically
increase in the coming five years.
- Younger workers expect to see the
biggest increase in their device use, with 31 percent of those
18-24 and 34 percent of those 25-34 anticipating their usage of
digital devices to increase or dramatically increase in next five
years.
With the new year on the horizon, now is a good time to resolve
to make some simple adjustments to reduce eye strain:
- Every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to
look at an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
This 20-20-20 rule will help relax the eyes by focusing on
non-digital objects in the distance, according to Dr. Chris Wroten,
an optometrist and partner at Bond-Wroten Eye Clinic.
- Reduce the brightness or contrast of
your screen to a comfortable level.
- Maintain good posture and adjust your
seating to assure you’re viewing screens at the proper angles and
distances. The top of your computer monitor should sit just below
eye level at about an arm’s length away from your face.
- Ensure your prescription is up to date,
especially if you wear corrective lenses. If it’s been longer than
a year since your last eye exam, consider making an appointment
with your eye doctor.
- Make your vision health a priority.
Even if you do not wear corrective lenses, try to get a
comprehensive eye exam every one to two years, and talk to your
doctor about any eye strain symptoms.
For more information about digital eye strain, this consumer
study and other industry information, visit Unum’s newsroom.
About UnumUnum Group (www.unum.com) is a leading provider
of financial protection benefits in the United States and the
United Kingdom. Its primary businesses are Unum US, Colonial Life,
and Unum UK. Unum’s portfolio includes disability, life, accident
and critical illness, dental and vision coverage, which help
protect millions of working people and their families in the event
of an illness or injury. Unum also provides stop-loss coverage to
help self-insured employers protect against unanticipated medical
costs. The company reported revenues of $11.3 billion in 2017 and
provided nearly $7 billion in benefits.
For more information, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn.
1 Unum poll of 1,229 U.S. adults, September 2018.
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Kelly Spencer 423-294-4508Toll free:
866-850-8686Kspencer2@unum.com
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