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Digital Eye Strain (also referred to as Computer Vision Syndrome) is very common and has increased with the frequent usage of digital devices. If you spend a majority of your day staring at a screen, you have probably felt the effects of digital eye strain.
According to The Vision Council, “About 80 percent of American adults report using digital devices for more than two hours per day with nearly 67 percent using two or more devices simultaneously, and 59 percent report experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain.”
Some of the common symptoms of Digital Eye Strain include:
- Dry or itchy eyes
- Blurry vision
- Headaches
- Light sensitivity
- Neck and shoulder pain
Reducing the Effects of Digital Eye Strain
While Digital Eye Strain may be uncomfortable, it is not a permanent condition. There are many solutions available to help reduce its effects. Glasses wearers can opt for anti-reflection, blue light-filtering, and magnification features on their lenses to help reduce symptoms.
Other tips to help combat digital eye strain include:
- 20-20-20 rule (for 20 seconds looking at something that is 20 feet away, every 20 minutes)
- Reducing overhead lighting or using a screen glare filter to help eliminate screen glare
- Using moistening eye drops and blinking often to help reduce dry eyes
- Wearing computer eyeglasses if you don’t require prescription eyewear
- Positioning your computer screen 20-30 inches from your face, below eye level
- Increasing text size and adjusting the brightness of your screen to match your surroundings
Are Colors and Fonts That Important?
Another factor you may not always consider are your screen’s colors. Colors can play an important role in increasing or helping to reduce the effects of eye strain.
Certain colors, such as blue light, are harder on the eyes as they flicker more frequently. Dark text used on a dark background or a low contrast between text and background colors are best to avoid as they will likely cause more strain to your eyes. On the other hand, you may find that black text on a white or a slight yellow background is a color combination that is pleasing to your eyes.
When it comes to fonts, those without serifs (Arial and Verdana for example) allow more space between each letter and are easier to read at a distance.
How the Web Agent Application Helps
As call center agents spend a majority of their day staring at their computer screens, digital eye strain is a topic they can likely relate to. Amtelco’s Web Agent application helps combat Digital Eye Strain with various theme options available that emphasize different characteristics such as fonts, colors, and shapes.
There are 20 different themes to choose from. While the themes are purely aesthetic, they enable call center agents to find a theme that is most pleasing to their eyes and helps to alleviate eye strain.
Another way Web Agent helps agents reduce eye strain is that when the zoom or magnifier settings are utilized, the text remains clear and easy to read. The application is scalable which enables agents to expand or shrink the web browser without causing it to become blurry or pixelated.
