Healthy Eye Habits for Online Learning Students

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Online learning offers a host of benefits, from convenience to offering an affordable and accessible alternative to more traditional means of education. In Canada, the online education market is projected to reach $6.02 billion in 2024, with market researchers expecting an annual growth rate of 9.58% in the next few years. By 2029, the market is expected to reach a market volume of $9.51 billion. Meanwhile, the number of users is expected to amount to 9.9 million users by 2029.

One of the main reasons for this rapid market growth is the increasing demand for flexible learning options. Aside from significantly helping younger learners, online education has also become an essential step forward for adults seeking higher education or professional development opportunities.

Despite the benefits that online learning brings, there’s an often overlooked side effect of pursuing online education. Due to spending more time online and on digital screens, online learning may contribute to worsened eye and vision health among learners and educators. Fortunately, online learning students can use many healthy eye habits to help maintain their eye health. Below, we’ll share some essential eye habits for online learning students:

Fortunately, online learning students can use many healthy eye habits to help maintain their eye health.

Wearing blue light glasses

While we get most of our exposure to blue light from the sun, the commodification of digital devices and increased Internet connectivity have also exposed us to blue light emitted from artificial light sources. Overexposure to blue light has been shown to impact our circadian rhythm and, subsequently, our sleep quality and frequency. Too much blue light may also lead to eye strain, eye fatigue, or other symptoms.

Nowadays, you can easily find blue light glasses from physical stores and online retailers. The lenses on these glasses are specially coated with blue-light-filtering chemicals. Eyebuydirect’sline of blue light and computer glasses can protect your eyes from harmful blue-violet light at the 400 to 455nm range. The retailer also offers other lens options like the EBDBlue Smart, which features light-adjusting technology for those looking to transition easily between sunglasses and clear glasses without getting two pairs of eyewear. Aside from glasses, you can also find blue-light-filtering screen protectors for your devices or use built-in features like night or dark mode to ease contrast and reduce strain.

Taking frequent breaks from the screen

Of course, your blue light glasses aren’t going to do all the work for you. While blue light or computer glasses can effectively filter out or block blue light, it’s still important to give your eyes a break occasionally. Ophthalmologists have long warned that increased screen time can lead to red eyes, watery eyes, eye fatigue, difficulty focusing, and headaches.

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends the 20-20-20 rule: look away from the screen every 20 minutes by focusing on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important during long study sessions as you may blink less frequently when too focused on a task. This can lead to dry eyes or irritation. It’s also important to note that desktop and laptop computer use can be especially tough on the eyes because they’re usually set up higher in the visual field than a book. As a result, the upper eyelids tend to be open wider.

Getting enough sleep

Finally, while giving your eyes the occasional break is important, it’s also crucial that you give your eyes and body a good rest at the end of the day. This means using your phone or other digital devices in bed less frequently and building a healthy bedtime routine to ensure you get at least seven or eight hours of sleep daily. Experts have recommended not using your phone for at least an hour before bed.

In a previous post, we highlighted some healthy habits of successful people. Successful people are known for adhering to strict routines and forming productive habits, including getting a good night’s rest so your brain is rejuvenated and ready for the day. Studies have also shown that not getting enough sleep can prevent your eyes from producing enough tears to keep them lubricated. This can lead to irritation, dry eyes, eye twitches, and even eye infections if left untreated.

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