Work Late Reducing Glare and Eye Strain from your Monitor or Tablet?

Answer 1

Night owls across the world are no longer the exception but are quickly becoming the rule as economic and cultural pressure increases the daily pace of life. Rural or urban (though increasingly urban) populations are also being dragged, like it or not, into the technological world for many of their day to day errands and transactions, if not work e-mail after work e-mail.

As you may have noticed, the light from your typical monitor, be it a desktop LCD or LED or a tablet’s LCD display, can be quite harsh. When the room lights are off in the evening, the harsh nature of the light can really take a toll on your eyes and your concentration.

Many people report headaches, migraines, dizziness, eye twitch, or even nausea from staring at the screen for prolonged periods of time.

What can be done to alleviate eye strain from computer monitors? (Glare reduction software)

Aside from the simple advice of taking a break once every twenty to thirty minutes to look at something eyes, close ones eyes, and relax for a few minutes, there are also software solutions available which can help.

f.lux is a relatively recent application which has seen a rise in popularity recently. It is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and jailbroken iOS devices (Android users are, for now, stuck with Lux). Customizable to a fair degree, f.lux changes the “warmth” of the light being displayed behind your monitor to what can best be described as a more “natural” or “candle-like” glow.

Like a small candle or warm lamp being placed behind a sheet of paper or canvas, the effect really can make a very large difference in how one perceived the glare of the monitor during the evening hours.

Hardware settings on the monitor itself

Don’t forget to consult the menu from the monitor panel itself. The setting you will be looking for is brightness and contrast.

Of course brightness can be reduced and it may help in terms of reducing glare, but if the problem is with vision itself or a user is somewhat farsighted, the reduction in brightness may force them to have to squint or stare harder to discern.

Contrast is also important to balance. Too low of a contrast can make displays fuzzy and illegible, while a high contrast situation can appear stark, harsh, and contribute to glare.

Taking good care of your vision will lead to a longer life of gaming, Surfing, and watching torrented comedies while the boss isn’t looking -- so take the few steps to make sure it all works out.