One of the prominent concerns among students who read books in a digital format is the effect reading on a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or e-reader for an extended period of time will have on their eyes. E-books are generally less expensive to purchase and definitely more portable than their physical counterparts, and these are the two main reasons why many students opt for them. However, it is important for e-book readers to understand how to take advantage of this technology without letting it harm their eyes.
Using e-readers for extended periods of time can cause eyestrain, which, according to Toronto-based optometrist Dr. Shirley Blanc, “is a common symptom patients present to their eye care professional, and can manifest as eye fatigue, difficulty focusing, burning or irritation in the eyes, red, dry, or watery eyes, and/or headaches.”
Lighting is the most important factor in determining the severity of eyestrain that an e-reader will experience. Glare and light scatter are significant causes of eyestrain and can be minimized by staying away from windows, reducing the brightness of the screen, getting rid of any source of light that points directly at the e-reading device (such as a lamp), and using anti-reflection screen protectors.
The level of contrast between the text and screen background is also important. “When the room is dark and the monitor is bright, or when the screen is too bright compared to the dark text, the difference in contrast is too great for the eyes and hence becomes uncomfortable,” Blanc explains. This can be dealt with by reading only black-on-white text and reducing the brightness of the screen so that it is more or less the same as the brightness of the room one is in.
And, of course, it helps to take a break and relax the muscles involved in the focusing of the eye. Blanc recommends using the 20/20/20 rule generally quoted by optometrists: after every 20 minutes of e-reading, the reader should take a 20 second break and focus on something 20 feet away.
Cedric Cruz, Contributor
