This short article will define what the 20-20-20 rule is, why it is beneficial to implement into our lifestyles, and a recommendation to begin using it effectively in schedules.
The 20-20-20 rule is every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to look away from an electronic screen to see another object 20 feet in your vicinity (1). Why is the 20-20-20 rule useful? A recent study published by Statista, stated 63 percent of people or approximately 5 billion people use the internet every day (2). On average, people spend more than eight hours a day (3) using technology, which is problematic, since this can lead to digital eye strain and eventually cause the following symptoms (4):
Eye pain
Dry eyes
Worse vision
Fatigue
Headaches
Back pain, if you do not maintain good posture for the whole day
By implementing the 20-20-20 rule into our work schedules, people can ease eyes from preventing continuous strain when it is needed to use technology for long periods. If a person is sitting in one place for a while using technology, it is recommended to get up and stretch. Doing daily stretching exercises improves body posture by slowly strengthening the body’s muscles (5). To implement this into a daily schedule, set an alarm or a reminder to use these tips. To ease eye pain, follow these suggestions:
Use the 20-20-20 rule
Blink more often to prevent constantly staring at a screen
If needed, look away from the screen and close your eyes for 20 seconds to a minute to ease eye strain
Sleep seven to eight hours a day to rest your eyes
Do stretching exercises to improve body posture
Use artificial tear eye drops or artificial tear eye ointment for dry eyes
Try to minimize screen time when possible
If the problem worsens, make an appointment to visit an Ophthalmologist or an eye doctor.
Sources: Nall, Rachel. “20-20-20 Rule: How to Prevent Eye Strain.” medicalnewstoday.com, Medical News Today, 27 July 2022, medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321536#:~:tex... Accessed 2 Sept. 2022. (1)
“Global Digital Population 2020.” Statista, Statista, statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-popu... Accessed 2 Sept. 2022. (2)
Editorial Team, TheSleepJudge. “Does Information Overload Affect Sleep Quality?” The Sleep Judge, The Sleep Judge, 1 Nov. 2019, thesleepjudge.com/information-overload-and-... Accessed 2 Sept. 2022. (3)
American Optometric Association. “Computer Vision Syndrome.” American Optometric Association, American Optometric Association, aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditi... Accessed 2 Sept. 2022. (4)
Club, Fit Athletic. “Can Stretching Improve Body Posture? | ? Yoga Classes Mission Beach.” Fit Athletic - San Diego Best Gym, Fit Athletic, 14 May 2020, fitathletic.com/stretching-yoga-improve-pos... Accessed 2 Sept. 2022. (5)