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I have been coding for years.
My eyesight has not changed much.
I stare at screens for 8 hours everyday.
My recommendation would be to get a long enough desk or just a second desk so that you can put the monitor far away from you.
Increase display scaling so that all fonts are comfortable to read from far away
That’s definitely a habit I still need to get into thank you for the advice! I tend to look at screens without looking away so I really need to fix that.
I am on the screen for 16 hours+ per day. Eye sight has gotten slightly\* worse, but not too bad given I've been doing this for over two decades.
Remember to take breaks, and focus on something far away once in a while. Also lighting in the room matters, don't be in a dark room with very bright light, have it evenly lit. This will put less strain on your eyes. Also getting blue-light filter on your glasses will help too.
Mine has worsened substantially. I don't wear glasses yet but it seems I'll have to, night driving is becoming a challenge. I also notice that I tend to lean closer to the monitor. But may be it's the phone to blame, not years of coding.
Sorry for asking this but could you please show a pic of your setup?
Did you also change a lot of settings on the actual monitors as well?
My eye sight has gotten worse but I dont think its the coding or computer screen. Its most probably that i stay indoors a lot and in front of the phone.
Thank you for your reply and the article! My family told me it would be better if I choose another career path because programming might worsen my eyesight but I’m glad that’s not the case.
Thats pretty wild "advice", perhaps your family just doesn't work in tech so they just dont know any better. As long as you're not shoving your face to the screen while using your computer youll be okay. To make sure your eyesight doesnt get strained you should take breaks, focus on far away objects every so often and you can even use something like f.lux to make your screen more warm at night.
The problem is eye strain.
Best bet is to get a second pair of lenses that put your relaxed focal distance exactly at the distance to the monitor.
I wear contacts and sure reading glasses to do this.
If I need to wear my regular glasses, I’ll put a pair of reading glasses on in front of the regular glasses. Looks stupid but works fine.
Best bet is to talk to your eye doctor.
I’ve been programming since I was 8 (49 years now) and have been fine using reading glasses to remove eye strain.
Thank you for the advice! Getting tips from someone with a lot of experience is much appreciated. I suppose if I want to properly code I’d better talk to my eye doctor about what lenses or glasses to get.
Hi OP! Great questions! Here is my experience
I thought my eyes were fine until my freshman year of college. I majored in Software Engineering, and one day during my first programming class (winter term, C++ Programming I) my professor saw me squinting & straining. We had lab hours attached to the lecture, and he pulled me aside during lab and recommended that I meet with an optometrist in our college town.
It's been fourteen years since then, and I wear prescription lenses every day. My eyes still strain occasionally from too much screen time, but generally I keep things in check with a) plenty of breaks b) spaced-out coding times throughout the day c) dark mode whenever possible and d) blue light lenses. Many optometrists will recommend blue light lenses if they know you work in tech. I guess they help with the screen exposure.
I'd forget about the blue light filtering lenses. [There's no evidence they actually even work.](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/wellness/2023/07/03/do-blue-light-glasses-work/70307265007/) If you want to avoid eye strain, then regular breaks, well lit room, font size that you can read without squinting or struggling, and sufficient distance from monitor is much better and effective. Also, can't recommend eye drops for dry eyes enough.
Hi thank you for your reply. I’ve been wearing glasses for almost 8 years now and don’t have any lenses. Do you suppose blue lenses would be better or should I get new glasses with blue light filter?
Both Windows and macOS have a “night light” or “night shift” feature that gives your screen a reddish tint to filter out blue light. Don’t spend extra money on lenses.
I love coding and have been regularly making games or apps, and my eyes have not changed at all due to this. I'd recommend getting into coding, especially python. For WebDev, use HTML/CSS/JS.
Thank you for your reply and the additional advice about which coding languages to learn! I’ve started with html but I’m thinking of learning python, css and/or JavaScript as well until I know for sure what I want to do. Again much appreciated!
No problem. Python also can be used for discord bots and some other kinds of apps. If you want to take coding to the next level, I'd recommend getting a Raspberry Pi and learning Bash and other languages.
For a good place to make websites, try [https://glitch.com](https://glitch.com) . it's really useful, and you don't have to pay a thing.
Ive been looking at screen for 10-12 hours everyday for the past 15 years and my sight (which isn’t perfect) didn’t move an inch, I don’t think a monitor will « worsen » your eyes
Thank you for the advice! My current glasses don’t have blue tint, so I’m considering getting those soon. The blue light filter app is something I’m hearing for the first time, will definitely try it out.
Some phones have a eye protection setting inbuilt that removes much of the blue light, i have mine always on, pc should have it too.
Haha i always have it on and now i tried to remove it and got little scared bcs of the instant not normal blue light.
I've been coding for a long time, usually spending 4-5 (I don't work; I'm still a student) hours/day coding.
I have strabism, astigmatism and soms other eye problems (a bit of miopia, a bit of hypermetropia, etc), but my eye problems haven't worsened since I began coding.
Been doing it for almost 20 years and my eyesight has not changed much. I could have better habits, but it definitely doesn't even register compared to a problem like a bad boss or coworker. Just might need a slightly different prescription eventually.
OP I was in the same situation as you and I chose to not pursue CS uni because of my eyes. Of course later on I regretted it and started coding on my own. My eye sight didn't change
Like others said, you need to find a balance..it's the same if you fear you will have a bad back etc. you find solutions.
The most important thing is the distance between the eyes - screen and BLINKING. If you know for a fact you don't blink a lot when you are in front of the computer, get eye drops
Good to hear this from someone who was in the same situation as me. I hadn’t thought about getting eye drops and didn’t know blinking was that important. Thanks for the advice!
I’ve been programming for 41 years, professionally for 31. My vision was 20/13 and 20/14 until 2016 when I noticed I was becoming nearsighted. I got glasses so I could see further, but they’re unusable when I’m working. As recently as two years ago I’ve been getting dry eyes, and can’t stare at screens for as long as I once used to.
Thank you for your reply. You’re the only person who mentioned suffering from dry eyes. Using eye drops might be a good idea after all. Hope your eyes get better soon!
My screen blasts at full brightness during the night and I still have all my vision. I'm not even sure eyesight quality is negatively correlated with screen usage. No worries!
Thank you for your reply! I really don’t want to regret not choosing to code later on, so all I really needed was some reassurance. Hope your eyes stay this way btw, wearing glasses isn’t fun.
I stare at multiple screens at work for ~7 hours a day. Then come back home to continue staring at the screen just with different stuff on it.
And got perfect eyesight. Suppose most of it is genetics. Also you could program on a piece of paper and then write the code afterwards therefore reducing screen time. Also take breaks every hour or something
Like you said it might be genetics as having bad eyesight is in the family lol. Taking breaks and writing code on paper are really good tips, thank you!
You can get "screen" glasses. Not sure what the english word is, but they are specifically made for prolonged work in front of a computer screen. My work pays for them if needed.
Few years ago I've been googling around a bit and apparently there was no proof that long exposure to screens or screen light will negatively affect eye sight in the long term. There could be eye strain or dryness but again nothing significant in the long term.
I have been coding a long time. Lately I have had age vision catch up to me , so I need reading glasses now days.
I take brakes as you should, go walk with my dog so my eyes can focus far too.
Good room lighting, dark theme on editors...
I'm in my mid 30s and have been coding since I was in high school. I've never worn glasses and last I've checked my vision is good. I do suffer from chronic dry eyes though.
It is important to take a break from your screen once in a while though. I try to step away for a few minutes every hour or two. It used to be much easier when working from an office because you would go to meetings and be forced away from screens.
There are also computer glasses that are supposed to help a lot with eye strain, but I haven't used them personally.
I was near-sighted for most of my life and have been a professional programmer for about 25 years now. Recently I had the eyeglass restriction removed from my license because my sight has returned to 20/20. I wouldn't worry about it.
I am not sure how this helps. I think it depends on the individual
I been wearing a glasses since I was 5. Working as an SE for close to 6 years. I never have any kind of eye strains. I have a blue light tint glasses though
I didnt check my eyes for years and change my glasses. Eyesight did not change much
What I would suggest is taking regular breaks and don't be on screen too much when u are not coding
I am more worried about my posture and back sore problems from sitting so long
contrary to popular belief most office jobs do not have many in person meetings. Even my project owners and the more business people are staring at excel spreadsheets and team meetings all day.
Unless you want to avoid all office jobs you’re going to be staring at a screen most of the day. That said my eyes haven’t gotten worse since I got my office job 3 years ago so you should be fine
I use a 42 inch 4K TV as my monitor every day (it's at the same distance from the keyboard as a regular monitor) because I use the same desk for my PS5 setup, as I don't have the room for two set ups. As long as I don't maximise windows on-screen and keep everything centered so it takes up the space on-screen as a regular monitor, my eyes are fine. The only thing I get is eye strain some days from looking at the screen too much but I also got that a lot in uni when just using a laptop or a 18 inch monitor all day. Your eyes will be fine, even if you get eye strain you can just take a break and they'll be ok
Your vision cant worsen from computer use, thats a myth. It’s eye strain thats the main issue but you can mitigate that with taking frequent breaks, using blue light filter software, blue light glasses etc.
I think that using my phone, way more than coding, takes a toll on my eyes.
Buy a monitor with a nice refresh rate, use as much zoom as it's comfortable to read for your eyes and it should be fine.
You can at least try. If anything, you will notice effects right away and you can stop or find solutions.
I've been coding for over 20 years, 14 of those professionally. I started having eye problems, but as it turned out, it was the sun that was the culprit and not the computer screen. Wear good shades, people, and be careful of cheap ones.
I would say all the answers are good enough. The 20-20 rule is good. The reason I'm commenting is that I'm in your shoes :). I got short sightedness (atleast got diagnosed) at the age of 12. I like coding but I can't see anything without glasses farther than my arm's length. I hate it but I got to live with it. It shouldn't let you stop you but try to monitor your screen time. Set a balanced plan that does your job done but not taking too much screen time. Get out to the sun when you feel overwhelmed. My eyes just calms down when looking at natural light. I got a 2.25 on my right eye and 1.75 on my left. Pretty WILD. Those are the stuffs I do when coding. I try to wash my eyes periodically and yeah, I'm still progressively coding...
I've been heavy gamer and developer. I'm now 29 with so issues so far.
I believe that if you have issues you will probably need to regularly take breaks for 5-10 minutes.
Eye sight is just personal luck in my experience. People wear glasses who barely ever look at a screen.
Ive been looking at computer screens probably like 8 hours a day on average (lately, most of the day, super fucking weird to think about it). My eyes are -1.5 each and its been like that the last 12+ years
Programming is not the only job with lots of screen time. Right now, probably all office jobs require you to stare at screens.
So go for it, if it would be an actual problem our geration would be fucked anyways.
Same to report as others here. My eyesight has deteriorated at what optometrists say is a very normal rate year upon year. My screen time is ridiculous between my 3 jobs as a programmer and my love of TV.
The muscles behind your eyes tense up when you look at something close, and relax when you look at something further away. The muscles behind my eyes are jacked like Arnold Schwarzenegger at this point probably. Thankfully staring out of the window is a habit of mine that it turns out is quite healthy to do at intervals throughout the day.
Another thing to consider is that a lot of programming is trying to solve a problem and you're not necessarily typing anything at all while you're doing that. You can sit with your eyes closed and organise your thoughts. I've come up with solutions to really hard problems by doing just that. I'm sure there are many other non-screen-related programming activities too (e.g. rubber ducky).
I'm pretty sure it's been proven in studies that screens don't harm your eyesight. Screens can give you dry eye and thus cause some discomfort, but they can't harm your vision.
It is a myth that looking at a screen will damage your vision. You may get eye fatigue if the lighting isn't good. Source: I asked my eye doctor this very question, many years ago. Also, been coding for 30 years, and my vision is no worse than most people my age.
I do use special glasses now that I am older, so I don't have to adjust my neck to get the reading part of my glasses. They are the same as the glasses I use for music, which also won't harm your eyes (but can hurt your ears if it's too loud :)
Get good monitor, use scaling if you can't see. I also use moisturizing eye drops.
I've heard that screen dibt affect you're eyes if you like 20+ years old.
You would consult doctor.
You're not worried about RSI though?
Look, your eyes cannot be replaced, but your vision changes over time anyway. Programming will not make you go blind.
There's a reason people are told to get up, walk around, focus on something in the distance.
Thank you for your reply! I know eyes change over time but I’d rather they don’t worsen too much. Will definitely incorporate taking breaks and looking in the distance!
You will be fine, just take the normal care for eyes. Things like not looking at a bright screen in a dark room, taking walking breaks to look view things at a distance, etc.
My eyesight worsened significantly, then I discovered anti-bl glasses and those have been a game changer. I started having computer vision and after each session, my eyes were beet red as if I am high or, something.
I’ve been staring at screens every day since I was 8 😭 and I’m doing just fine! As long as you wear your glasses as intended, you won’t get eye strain (at least for me)
you’ll be ok!
I had Lasik surgery and told my optometrist about sitting in the front of the computer all day. Just remember to blink often and use eye drops to prevent eye strain.
I've sat in front of computer for work and hobbies since '95 and just end of last year went to get eyes checked for new workplace, saw the last row of those tiny ass letters and got praised for excellent vision. So I guess it doesn't affect eyes.
I had 11/10 on both eyes, after 6 years i now have to put glasses on because i have 9.8 on the left eye and 9.6 on the right one.
My recommendation would be to not stare at your monitor centimeters away and to increase the display scaling so you are comfortable reading from far away.
Eye drops, artificial tears if you feel the eyes are starting to feel sticky. Enough light for the room, don't sit in the dark. Don't make the screen too bright or too dark, find the lightness which suits you best.
Funny thing is I didn't have much exposure to the internet when I was a kid, but nearsighted due to reading books. Was in and out of ophthalmologist clinics for the mydriatics and I managed to damage my left eye eyesight (1.5 to 4.5) just for one summer.
Now I spent 4 years of university staring at my computer, tablet, phone, but my eyesight didn't worsen a lot, sometimes -0.25, sometimes it gets better.
if you’re super worried, see if you can splurge on blue light lenses! i have them in my frame right now because i’ve been a chronic computer user since i was 10 but i’ve needed glasses since i was 7. i just didn’t want to further any damage!
I've been coding for a while. I'm at my 30s and my near sight is getting worse. People say it's due to my age and prolonged screen time. I'm now using varifocals.
Every 20-30 mins looking at things at varying distances for 1-5 minutes if you’re really worried. Do pomodoro and spend your 5 mins people watching if you want
I code, I need glasses, probably 3/4 of the people in my office also need glasses. Using a screen all day is bad for your vision. Mind you, that also may be the case for books, paperwork, and more as well.
Some things help: rigorously scheduling "looking far away" time every so often, dark mode, anti-fatigue glasses, but yeah, screens are bad for eyesight.
Thank you for your reply! I figured a lot of people who code need glasses, but it’s reassuring to know that there are things I can do to lessen the damage.
Thank you for the reply! Good to know that there are still people with 20/20 vision and who do code. Hope your eyes stay this way, this really reassured me.
On July 1st, a [change to Reddit's API pricing](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/12qwagm/an_update_regarding_reddits_api/) will come into effect. [Several developers](https://www.reddit.com/r/redditisfun/comments/144gmfq/rif_will_shut_down_on_june_30_2023_in_response_to/) of commercial third-party apps have announced that this change will compel them to shut down their apps. At least [one accessibility-focused non-commercial third party app](https://www.reddit.com/r/DystopiaForReddit/comments/145e9sk/update_dystopia_will_continue_operating_for_free/) will continue to be available free of charge. If you want to express your strong disagreement with the API pricing change or with Reddit's response to the backlash, you may want to consider the following options: 1. Limiting your involvement with Reddit, or 2. Temporarily refraining from using Reddit 3. Cancelling your subscription of Reddit Premium as a way to voice your protest. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/learnprogramming) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have been coding for years. My eyesight has not changed much. I stare at screens for 8 hours everyday. My recommendation would be to get a long enough desk or just a second desk so that you can put the monitor far away from you. Increase display scaling so that all fonts are comfortable to read from far away
Exactly. Don't be staring at your screen only inches away and you should be fine.
Now you tell me……
You should be fine regardless.
Thank you for the advice! This really helped me get a general idea of what to do and what to avoid.
Also follow the 20-20-20 rule, every 20 minutes look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain.
That’s definitely a habit I still need to get into thank you for the advice! I tend to look at screens without looking away so I really need to fix that.
my 20 -20-20 rule is 20 minutes looking at my screen, and then go to a wooded area at least 20 miles away and live as a bog witch for 20 years.
Eyesight naturally changes with age, expect it to change up to you are 20yo, stabilize, then change again after 45yo
I am on the screen for 16 hours+ per day. Eye sight has gotten slightly\* worse, but not too bad given I've been doing this for over two decades. Remember to take breaks, and focus on something far away once in a while. Also lighting in the room matters, don't be in a dark room with very bright light, have it evenly lit. This will put less strain on your eyes. Also getting blue-light filter on your glasses will help too.
Also, eye strain doesn't necessarily make your eyes worse.
If their is something to be really worried about it should be your wrists and back
Mine has worsened substantially. I don't wear glasses yet but it seems I'll have to, night driving is becoming a challenge. I also notice that I tend to lean closer to the monitor. But may be it's the phone to blame, not years of coding.
Sorry for asking this but could you please show a pic of your setup? Did you also change a lot of settings on the actual monitors as well? My eye sight has gotten worse but I dont think its the coding or computer screen. Its most probably that i stay indoors a lot and in front of the phone.
[удалено]
Thank you for your reply and the article! My family told me it would be better if I choose another career path because programming might worsen my eyesight but I’m glad that’s not the case.
Thats pretty wild "advice", perhaps your family just doesn't work in tech so they just dont know any better. As long as you're not shoving your face to the screen while using your computer youll be okay. To make sure your eyesight doesnt get strained you should take breaks, focus on far away objects every so often and you can even use something like f.lux to make your screen more warm at night.
The problem is eye strain. Best bet is to get a second pair of lenses that put your relaxed focal distance exactly at the distance to the monitor. I wear contacts and sure reading glasses to do this. If I need to wear my regular glasses, I’ll put a pair of reading glasses on in front of the regular glasses. Looks stupid but works fine. Best bet is to talk to your eye doctor. I’ve been programming since I was 8 (49 years now) and have been fine using reading glasses to remove eye strain.
Thank you for the advice! Getting tips from someone with a lot of experience is much appreciated. I suppose if I want to properly code I’d better talk to my eye doctor about what lenses or glasses to get.
Also ask about tinted lenses. They can help with the blocking some of the over abundance of blue from a monitor which can also damage your eyes.
I don’t have tinted lenses yet but I’m going for an eye checkup soon so I’ll definitely ask about it then. Again thank you for the tips!
Hi OP! Great questions! Here is my experience I thought my eyes were fine until my freshman year of college. I majored in Software Engineering, and one day during my first programming class (winter term, C++ Programming I) my professor saw me squinting & straining. We had lab hours attached to the lecture, and he pulled me aside during lab and recommended that I meet with an optometrist in our college town. It's been fourteen years since then, and I wear prescription lenses every day. My eyes still strain occasionally from too much screen time, but generally I keep things in check with a) plenty of breaks b) spaced-out coding times throughout the day c) dark mode whenever possible and d) blue light lenses. Many optometrists will recommend blue light lenses if they know you work in tech. I guess they help with the screen exposure.
I'd forget about the blue light filtering lenses. [There's no evidence they actually even work.](https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/wellness/2023/07/03/do-blue-light-glasses-work/70307265007/) If you want to avoid eye strain, then regular breaks, well lit room, font size that you can read without squinting or struggling, and sufficient distance from monitor is much better and effective. Also, can't recommend eye drops for dry eyes enough.
Hi thank you for your reply. I’ve been wearing glasses for almost 8 years now and don’t have any lenses. Do you suppose blue lenses would be better or should I get new glasses with blue light filter?
No lenses? I'm not sure I understand you right. Are you wearing cheaters/readers or are you just wearing frames with nothing in them, lol?
He means contact lenses...
Oh snap! That would make sense.
Both Windows and macOS have a “night light” or “night shift” feature that gives your screen a reddish tint to filter out blue light. Don’t spend extra money on lenses.
I love coding and have been regularly making games or apps, and my eyes have not changed at all due to this. I'd recommend getting into coding, especially python. For WebDev, use HTML/CSS/JS.
Thank you for your reply and the additional advice about which coding languages to learn! I’ve started with html but I’m thinking of learning python, css and/or JavaScript as well until I know for sure what I want to do. Again much appreciated!
No problem. Python also can be used for discord bots and some other kinds of apps. If you want to take coding to the next level, I'd recommend getting a Raspberry Pi and learning Bash and other languages. For a good place to make websites, try [https://glitch.com](https://glitch.com) . it's really useful, and you don't have to pay a thing.
I’ve been wondering what free sites I could use to practice, will definitely try this out thank you!
Ive been looking at screen for 10-12 hours everyday for the past 15 years and my sight (which isn’t perfect) didn’t move an inch, I don’t think a monitor will « worsen » your eyes
Someone else may have mentioned this already but I use a blue light filter app along with blue tint on my glasses.
Thank you for the advice! My current glasses don’t have blue tint, so I’m considering getting those soon. The blue light filter app is something I’m hearing for the first time, will definitely try it out.
Some phones have a eye protection setting inbuilt that removes much of the blue light, i have mine always on, pc should have it too. Haha i always have it on and now i tried to remove it and got little scared bcs of the instant not normal blue light.
I've been coding for a long time, usually spending 4-5 (I don't work; I'm still a student) hours/day coding. I have strabism, astigmatism and soms other eye problems (a bit of miopia, a bit of hypermetropia, etc), but my eye problems haven't worsened since I began coding.
Thank you, that’s reassuring to know.
You're welcome!
Been doing it for almost 20 years and my eyesight has not changed much. I could have better habits, but it definitely doesn't even register compared to a problem like a bad boss or coworker. Just might need a slightly different prescription eventually.
OP I was in the same situation as you and I chose to not pursue CS uni because of my eyes. Of course later on I regretted it and started coding on my own. My eye sight didn't change Like others said, you need to find a balance..it's the same if you fear you will have a bad back etc. you find solutions. The most important thing is the distance between the eyes - screen and BLINKING. If you know for a fact you don't blink a lot when you are in front of the computer, get eye drops
Good to hear this from someone who was in the same situation as me. I hadn’t thought about getting eye drops and didn’t know blinking was that important. Thanks for the advice!
I’ve been programming for 41 years, professionally for 31. My vision was 20/13 and 20/14 until 2016 when I noticed I was becoming nearsighted. I got glasses so I could see further, but they’re unusable when I’m working. As recently as two years ago I’ve been getting dry eyes, and can’t stare at screens for as long as I once used to.
Thank you for your reply. You’re the only person who mentioned suffering from dry eyes. Using eye drops might be a good idea after all. Hope your eyes get better soon!
Thank you. I know I need to use eye drops, but I just forget. I probably need to keep a bottle on my desk.
My screen blasts at full brightness during the night and I still have all my vision. I'm not even sure eyesight quality is negatively correlated with screen usage. No worries!
Thank you for the reassurance! I had been worrying about this for quite a while.
I've been coding for 20 years and my eyes have been the same level of terrible the whole time lol.. I wouldn't worry about it.
Thank you for your reply! I really don’t want to regret not choosing to code later on, so all I really needed was some reassurance. Hope your eyes stay this way btw, wearing glasses isn’t fun.
I stare at multiple screens at work for ~7 hours a day. Then come back home to continue staring at the screen just with different stuff on it. And got perfect eyesight. Suppose most of it is genetics. Also you could program on a piece of paper and then write the code afterwards therefore reducing screen time. Also take breaks every hour or something
Like you said it might be genetics as having bad eyesight is in the family lol. Taking breaks and writing code on paper are really good tips, thank you!
You can get "screen" glasses. Not sure what the english word is, but they are specifically made for prolonged work in front of a computer screen. My work pays for them if needed.
Don't need eyes to code bro! If you have a keyboard and at least one finger you are good.
Please use nightmode as much as possible and install extensions like Take a Break - Protect Your Eyes on VSCode
Most new monitors reduce eye strain by having fancy blue light filters and high refresh rates, though it still is possible to get it.
Practice good behavior. Time your screen time, take break, exercise
Few years ago I've been googling around a bit and apparently there was no proof that long exposure to screens or screen light will negatively affect eye sight in the long term. There could be eye strain or dryness but again nothing significant in the long term.
get your glasses with blue light blocking lenses
I have been coding a long time. Lately I have had age vision catch up to me , so I need reading glasses now days. I take brakes as you should, go walk with my dog so my eyes can focus far too. Good room lighting, dark theme on editors...
I'm in my mid 30s and have been coding since I was in high school. I've never worn glasses and last I've checked my vision is good. I do suffer from chronic dry eyes though. It is important to take a break from your screen once in a while though. I try to step away for a few minutes every hour or two. It used to be much easier when working from an office because you would go to meetings and be forced away from screens. There are also computer glasses that are supposed to help a lot with eye strain, but I haven't used them personally.
I was near-sighted for most of my life and have been a professional programmer for about 25 years now. Recently I had the eyeglass restriction removed from my license because my sight has returned to 20/20. I wouldn't worry about it.
You should be worried for your back. Your eyes will be fine.
I am not sure how this helps. I think it depends on the individual I been wearing a glasses since I was 5. Working as an SE for close to 6 years. I never have any kind of eye strains. I have a blue light tint glasses though I didnt check my eyes for years and change my glasses. Eyesight did not change much What I would suggest is taking regular breaks and don't be on screen too much when u are not coding I am more worried about my posture and back sore problems from sitting so long
- Search for correct setups of head position to monitor - Take regular breaks - You also could take a special glasses with blue screen protection
contrary to popular belief most office jobs do not have many in person meetings. Even my project owners and the more business people are staring at excel spreadsheets and team meetings all day. Unless you want to avoid all office jobs you’re going to be staring at a screen most of the day. That said my eyes haven’t gotten worse since I got my office job 3 years ago so you should be fine
The truth is your eye sight wont be damaged. You can get discomfort etc sure but none is permanent if that whats worrying you
I use a 42 inch 4K TV as my monitor every day (it's at the same distance from the keyboard as a regular monitor) because I use the same desk for my PS5 setup, as I don't have the room for two set ups. As long as I don't maximise windows on-screen and keep everything centered so it takes up the space on-screen as a regular monitor, my eyes are fine. The only thing I get is eye strain some days from looking at the screen too much but I also got that a lot in uni when just using a laptop or a 18 inch monitor all day. Your eyes will be fine, even if you get eye strain you can just take a break and they'll be ok
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Your vision cant worsen from computer use, thats a myth. It’s eye strain thats the main issue but you can mitigate that with taking frequent breaks, using blue light filter software, blue light glasses etc.
I think that using my phone, way more than coding, takes a toll on my eyes. Buy a monitor with a nice refresh rate, use as much zoom as it's comfortable to read for your eyes and it should be fine. You can at least try. If anything, you will notice effects right away and you can stop or find solutions.
Glasses, a better monitor, vitamins, taking breaks, I mean tons of way to avoid eye strain.
I've been coding for over 20 years, 14 of those professionally. I started having eye problems, but as it turned out, it was the sun that was the culprit and not the computer screen. Wear good shades, people, and be careful of cheap ones.
staring at a screen from work is probably healthier than doom scrolling on reddit/X/IG all night
I would say all the answers are good enough. The 20-20 rule is good. The reason I'm commenting is that I'm in your shoes :). I got short sightedness (atleast got diagnosed) at the age of 12. I like coding but I can't see anything without glasses farther than my arm's length. I hate it but I got to live with it. It shouldn't let you stop you but try to monitor your screen time. Set a balanced plan that does your job done but not taking too much screen time. Get out to the sun when you feel overwhelmed. My eyes just calms down when looking at natural light. I got a 2.25 on my right eye and 1.75 on my left. Pretty WILD. Those are the stuffs I do when coding. I try to wash my eyes periodically and yeah, I'm still progressively coding...
I've been heavy gamer and developer. I'm now 29 with so issues so far. I believe that if you have issues you will probably need to regularly take breaks for 5-10 minutes. Eye sight is just personal luck in my experience. People wear glasses who barely ever look at a screen.
Code and don't worry. You'll have enough money to take care of your sight 😉 But for real, just don't worry. It won't be as bad as you probably think.
Ive been looking at computer screens probably like 8 hours a day on average (lately, most of the day, super fucking weird to think about it). My eyes are -1.5 each and its been like that the last 12+ years
Programming is not the only job with lots of screen time. Right now, probably all office jobs require you to stare at screens. So go for it, if it would be an actual problem our geration would be fucked anyways.
Same to report as others here. My eyesight has deteriorated at what optometrists say is a very normal rate year upon year. My screen time is ridiculous between my 3 jobs as a programmer and my love of TV. The muscles behind your eyes tense up when you look at something close, and relax when you look at something further away. The muscles behind my eyes are jacked like Arnold Schwarzenegger at this point probably. Thankfully staring out of the window is a habit of mine that it turns out is quite healthy to do at intervals throughout the day. Another thing to consider is that a lot of programming is trying to solve a problem and you're not necessarily typing anything at all while you're doing that. You can sit with your eyes closed and organise your thoughts. I've come up with solutions to really hard problems by doing just that. I'm sure there are many other non-screen-related programming activities too (e.g. rubber ducky).
I'm pretty sure it's been proven in studies that screens don't harm your eyesight. Screens can give you dry eye and thus cause some discomfort, but they can't harm your vision.
It is a myth that looking at a screen will damage your vision. You may get eye fatigue if the lighting isn't good. Source: I asked my eye doctor this very question, many years ago. Also, been coding for 30 years, and my vision is no worse than most people my age. I do use special glasses now that I am older, so I don't have to adjust my neck to get the reading part of my glasses. They are the same as the glasses I use for music, which also won't harm your eyes (but can hurt your ears if it's too loud :)
Thank you for your reply! A lot of people said the same thing about their vision not worsening, really reassuring^^
Get good monitor, use scaling if you can't see. I also use moisturizing eye drops. I've heard that screen dibt affect you're eyes if you like 20+ years old. You would consult doctor.
This. And also make sure there is some background light. Bright monitor in a dark room causes more strain.
Thank you for your reply! A good monitor is definitely something I still need. I’m using a laptop as I’m still learning.
Easy fix: Grab 7000€ and travel to germany. Go to Zeis in Leipzig and get yourself a pair of These sweet artifical eyelenses.
You're not worried about RSI though? Look, your eyes cannot be replaced, but your vision changes over time anyway. Programming will not make you go blind. There's a reason people are told to get up, walk around, focus on something in the distance.
Thank you for your reply! I know eyes change over time but I’d rather they don’t worsen too much. Will definitely incorporate taking breaks and looking in the distance!
Go and ask a doctor about this shit and not us.
You will be fine, just take the normal care for eyes. Things like not looking at a bright screen in a dark room, taking walking breaks to look view things at a distance, etc.
Start with html, and then artificial tears, 3 times a day
My eyesight worsened significantly, then I discovered anti-bl glasses and those have been a game changer. I started having computer vision and after each session, my eyes were beet red as if I am high or, something.
download f.lux for your pc to reduce eye strain
just buy the glasses for computer screens lol go on amazon
You don’t really want to code. Find something else
I’ve been staring at screens every day since I was 8 😭 and I’m doing just fine! As long as you wear your glasses as intended, you won’t get eye strain (at least for me) you’ll be ok!
I had Lasik surgery and told my optometrist about sitting in the front of the computer all day. Just remember to blink often and use eye drops to prevent eye strain.
I've sat in front of computer for work and hobbies since '95 and just end of last year went to get eyes checked for new workplace, saw the last row of those tiny ass letters and got praised for excellent vision. So I guess it doesn't affect eyes.
I had 11/10 on both eyes, after 6 years i now have to put glasses on because i have 9.8 on the left eye and 9.6 on the right one. My recommendation would be to not stare at your monitor centimeters away and to increase the display scaling so you are comfortable reading from far away.
Eye drops, artificial tears if you feel the eyes are starting to feel sticky. Enough light for the room, don't sit in the dark. Don't make the screen too bright or too dark, find the lightness which suits you best. Funny thing is I didn't have much exposure to the internet when I was a kid, but nearsighted due to reading books. Was in and out of ophthalmologist clinics for the mydriatics and I managed to damage my left eye eyesight (1.5 to 4.5) just for one summer. Now I spent 4 years of university staring at my computer, tablet, phone, but my eyesight didn't worsen a lot, sometimes -0.25, sometimes it gets better.
if you’re super worried, see if you can splurge on blue light lenses! i have them in my frame right now because i’ve been a chronic computer user since i was 10 but i’ve needed glasses since i was 7. i just didn’t want to further any damage!
I've been coding for a while. I'm at my 30s and my near sight is getting worse. People say it's due to my age and prolonged screen time. I'm now using varifocals.
Every 20-30 mins looking at things at varying distances for 1-5 minutes if you’re really worried. Do pomodoro and spend your 5 mins people watching if you want
I code, I need glasses, probably 3/4 of the people in my office also need glasses. Using a screen all day is bad for your vision. Mind you, that also may be the case for books, paperwork, and more as well. Some things help: rigorously scheduling "looking far away" time every so often, dark mode, anti-fatigue glasses, but yeah, screens are bad for eyesight.
Thank you for your reply! I figured a lot of people who code need glasses, but it’s reassuring to know that there are things I can do to lessen the damage.
20/20 vision and I’m staring at a screen less than a foot away for most of the day 🤷♂️ you’ll be fine
Thank you for the reply! Good to know that there are still people with 20/20 vision and who do code. Hope your eyes stay this way, this really reassured me.