Take a look around- you will probably find that almost everyone is using mobile devices. In truth, these devices are wonderful, because they let us stay in touch with whoever we want no matter where we are. Nevertheless because handheld devices sport little screens, many people usually hold their smartphones a lot closer to their eyes than they would hold books and magazines. Reading like this can be really tough on your eyes.
It's a challenge for your eyes to focus on the small images and text you see on the tiny screens of smartphones. It won't come as a shock to know that this can create issues, especially if you already use vision correction such as glasses or contact lenses. If you already wear glasses, holding your phone or tablet too close can make it even harder for your eyes to correct for distance. Your eyes strain, and you wind up with headaches or migraines, which aren't pleasant.
But that's not all. There are more symptoms that can arise from holding your device too close to your eyes, including dry eyes or blurry vision, which can result from staring at your screen for too long, which makes you blink less.
In order to prevent eyestrain and blurred vision caused by our phones, as eye care professionals, we recommend that you hold the phone further away, and make the text a little bigger, so you can still read it. It's also good to try and regularly take breaks from staring at your phone. We all need technology, but it's important to be smart about how we engage with it, in order to protect our vision.
