Suggestions for reducing eye strain when on the computer?

[jmbar2]

I use my 32" Samsung TV as a computer monitor and spend a lot of time on it daytrading. However, the brightness hurts my eyes.

I bought some blue light shielding reading glasses that help somewhat, and was considering adding a blue light shield to the monitor itself.

Can anyone recommend a particular type of blue light shield or have other suggestions?

My eyes thank you in advance.

[XanaDUer2]

1. I suffer from this

I keep those ophthalmologist wrap-around glasses on sometimes, it helps, though I've just had eye surgery

[jmbar2]

2. Thanks for the idea

Can you buy them at the store?

[XanaDUer2]

3. Amazon has them

I'm typing this post surgery and probably shouldn't even be looking as a screen

[Tetrachloride]

4. get 2 small table lamps with low wattage bulbs

1 yellow (incandescent or akin)
1 white (fluorescent)

the combination will relax the eyes.

i like the light to bounce off my desk and walls

[jmbar2]

9. Thank you so much.

[csziggy]

17. Or check out LED desk lights with adjustable color values

Most also have adjustable brightness. The one I'm currently using also has a base with wireless cell phone charging. It's the second LED desk light I've owned - not as bright as the first but bright enough for most desk work. It has five color adjustments and five brightness adjustments.

The only negative I've found is that when the power supplied by the county is variable, it changes settings at random. Last night we had an outage, then several hours of variations in power and the light was all over the place. Today it's been fine.

[jmbar2]

20. Gonna check those out soon

Thanks again. I usually have soft background lighting on in the room when I'm on the computer, but I do need desk lighting as well. Need to up my game there.

Thanks!

[csziggy]

24. I really like the wireless cell phone charger part

But my next desk light I'm looking for more lumens. This one only goes to 650 lumens - I think the old one that quit went to 2000. Since the brightness on each is adjustable, the highest level is not needed all the time, but sometimes I need really good light at the desk (when looking at antique photos or negatives) and this one just doesn't cut it.

Otherwise, this is a nice lamp - but just wanted to mention the one part of it I really don't like.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. I got special glasses just for screen use

My normal glasses have an upper section for distance, and a lower section for reading ;

My computer glasses have a sliver at the top for distance, and a sliver at the bottom for reading, but the main section (80%) of the Center of the lens is focused on the distance from my eyes to the monitor, which is different than the distance from my eyes to a book in my lap or a phone/tablet in my hand. When I was still working and typing lots of notes in my computer, the glasses saved me a lot of pain, both in my eyes and in my neck and back from cocking my head to read the screen with my old glasses.

[jmbar2]

10. I didn't even know they had glasses like that

So far, I just use drugstore readers. That may be changing, so good to know if I end up at the eye docs. Thanks.

[Fiendish Thingy]

14. Neither did I, until my eye doctor recommended them about 4 years ago. Good luck! Nt

[jmbar2]

21. I ordered some blue light readers today from Readers.com

I was using a pair from Walmart, but these look like more professional quality. Pulling out all the stops now to protect my eyes.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. redshift

is an open source program i use in Linux. At dusk it tints the monitor slightly red. It's unnoticeable. But greatly helped my sleep and eye strain. I don't know if you can turn it on all the time.

http://jonls.dk/redshift/

It seems it's a command line program in Windows. There may be other programs that perform similar functions.

[jmbar2]

11. This is probably above my computer skill, but will check it out.

Thanks!

[msongs]

7. if using windows right click on screen, choose display settings, choose

color - night light set to on. adjust night light settings using the strength slider

your monitor should have settings for brightness and contrast that you can adjust

[jmbar2]

12. Will try it

BernardoLaPaz (following post) has a similar suggestions.

You guys are the best - many thanks.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Simple. In the monitor controls turn the brightness down. Adjust the blue level to taste.

Monitor controls, meaning physical controls on the monitor that cause pop ups on the screen.

Another thing some people swear by, when a program or app offers it, is "dark mode": lit letters on dark background like black. There is some research to say that yellow letters on black background have the greatest legibility. I don't like it and use black on white background.

Adjust the color balance rather than use blue-filtering glasses. The blue filter trains the brain and kind of deadens (inhibits to some extent) neurons that respond to blue, which affects non-glasses time for hours.

Adjusting the brightness down (and perhaps contrast up some, depends) often has the effect of making the screen slightly redder.

I turn my monitor down and then adjust the contrast and colour balance so whites look white, grays look gray, blacks look black and there is some detail in the blacks of photographs.

[jmbar2]

13. Thanks for these details

I switched to dark mode about a week ago and it helps a lot on the trading platform.

I had no idea that it was within my control for the rest of my browsing. Very good suggestions. Many thanks.

[jmbar2]

22. I found those controls today and tinkered with em.

Managed to turn the bright down a lot, and soften the intensity. It has made a big difference!

Would have not known to do that without your post, and others in this discussion.

Thank you so much.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. Kind of you to let me know. You are very welcome. . . . nt

[vanlassie]

15. I think many people position their monitors way too high.

The monitor should be low. As low as possible. This allows your eyelids to be relaxed and your neck as well. You want to be looking just slightly downwards. This was something I learned when being “fitted” for an ergonomic work station in a state of the art call center.

[jmbar2]

16. good tip

Mines at eye level. I can drop it about 3 inches. Will try it.

Thanks!

[ItsjustMe]

18. Use dark mode on your browser

I have to use dark mode on DU, otherwise I'll be blind within 10 minutes.

https://darkreader.org/

[jmbar2]

19. Didn't even know you could do that - thanks!

I fiddled with my TV/Monitor today and found how to turn down the brightness. It has made a big difference, thanks to all the great advice by posters here. I also ordered some high quality blue light readers to replace the wimpy ones I've been using.

I love that we have so many smart folks here on DU who are willing to share.

Thanks again!