OVERVIEW

The eyes were never intended to view digital devices. Self-illuminating computers and devices that make our work faster and more efficient create virtual rather than tangible environments. That is, they are sources of light, in and of themselves, and viewed for multiple hours, create natural focusing and aiming problems for the user. Add to this that they are usually used, in the case of a desktop computer, at or above eye level and, in the case of the cell phone, are held closer than paperwork. Tasks, such as computer and other digital device use, require special care for the eyes.

Over the years, the complaints about digital device related eyestrain, backaches, headaches, and muscle fatigue have increased. What has not increased is the authoritative information on the causes and how to alleviate these problems.

My hope is to explain some of the issues faced today by computer users, and how to solve them. While I cannot cover all the solutions available for digital problems, many of the possibilities are explored here.