Why you need to dump your old monitor

Guest Blogger:  Liam Tidwell of LiamTek

Do you still have a monitor like this one?  I hope not. It could be bad for your health…

Other than the back ache of moving it around it is far worse for  your eyes than a LCD monitor. Why, because they are inherently different in the way they create the picture.  A CRT makes the picture 1 pixel at a time. It has a beam that travels along the front of the screen, extremely fast, one line at a time lighting up each pixel along the way. This is what causes the perceived flicker when you wave your hand in front of one, or when you see a recording of a CRT. LCD and Plasma monitors have pixels that are lit continuously. This reduces the flicker effect dramatically. Less flickering equals less eye strain.  You might be thinking, I don’t normally notice a flicker. That is a function of the way our eyes and brain process the images that we see.  You can learn more about persistence of vision here–> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_of_vision

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The eye strain this creates will often feel like a headache in the back of your head near the base of your skull. Some of this can also be posture related, more to follow. If this sounds familiar, you might need a new monitor. LCD monitors are better for your eyes and your desk. You get less eye strain, more desk space and a better looking picture in most cases.  Don’t forget ergonomics when setting up your new monitor. To place it at the proper height, the top of the monitor should be just below eye level and it should have approximately 15-20 degrees of upward tilt. It should also be far enough away that you don’t have to turn your head to see the full screen.

Another eye saving tip is to take a visual break every so often, 2-3 times an hour, so your eyes can rest. Our eyes have a natural focus depth that is much farther than the distance of the monitors at which we stare into for hours on end.  So take a moment to stand up and just let your eyes focus at a more natural distance for a minute or so. Still feeling the eye strain talk to your optometrist about glasses for computer use, Yes they make such a thing.

http://LiamTek.com

LiamTek

Longview, Texas