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Geek Culture / Too much time in front of the PC?

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Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 6th Oct 2008 10:27
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Hi

I know a lot of you work computer jobs. (Get out!! I thought TGC was all blue collar!)

My Pops works from the a government org that looks after workplace safety and they have various guidelines (not laws unfortunately) that suggest a 10 minute break should be taken every hour to relieve stress on the eyes.

(As described in this site also)
http://www.desktoplawyer.co.uk/dt/browse/law/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewcontent&sid=75979&aid=34928

At work they only let us take a 15 min break once every 3 hours. Now by the end of the first hour I'm already in need of a break, but I work in a call center so they track every second you're not on the phone and interrogate you on where you are.

Now if I was in high school I would definitely fly with that as an excuse to wander the halls and chat, but after my years of game makin', my eyes are pretty bad. A recent exam shown that my already bad vision is getting worse (I should be wearing glasses all the time but only do for tv) and after spending hours at a PC my eyes do hurt and I cannot sleep until hours later.

Does anyone practice this at work? Even if I convince my boss it's a good idea, she has a million people above her, as I work for a very large corporation. I need to escape.

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Van B
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Joined: 8th Oct 2002
Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 6th Oct 2008 10:37
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The thing is to give your eyes a break, not skive off by walking the corridors just because you did 50 minutes work .

Keeping your eyes focussed on one thing for so long, especially a light source is not good for you, so every hour, spend a few minutes reading over training manuals or whatever you have on your desk. Finding something to focus on close by and far away helps stretch those eyes. Try and sit facing a window of some sort, even a window onto a corridor is better than nothing - people walking past distract the eyes naturally. If I had to sit facing my screen the whole time I'd just fall asleep.


Health, Ammo, and bacon and eggs!
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BatVink
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 6th Oct 2008 10:44
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Quote: "they have various guidelines (not laws unfortunately) that suggest a 10 minute break should be taken every hour to relieve stress on the eyes."


In the UK, that is an entitlement. You don't have to take it, but your employer can't stop you. If they do stop you, it will be in your favour in any dispute resolution.

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Seppuku Arts
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Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 6th Oct 2008 13:58 Edited at: 6th Oct 2008 14:03
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At School in ICT lessons they informed us of these laws, it's unhealthy to work more than an hour on the computer - ask your employer if you can take a break when you need it, if they refuse, make sure you know what rights your government has in place for you and if they're similar or the same as the UK's then make sure they're informed of these when you ask a second time.

You sir have the moral ambivalence of a mutated shrimp!
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bitJericho
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Posted: 6th Oct 2008 18:58
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Here's a thought, start wearing your glasses if you're concerned with your eyes


It's not just for BYOND you know!
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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 7th Oct 2008 03:57 Edited at: 7th Oct 2008 03:57
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Wearing your glasses doesn't actually prevent your vision from getting wrose, but merely helps slow down the process.

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soapyfish
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Location: Yorkshire, England
Posted: 7th Oct 2008 04:22 Edited at: 7th Oct 2008 04:26
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Wear an eye patch over one eye for an hour, then switch it to the other eye for the next hour. Continue with this pattern of patch swapping/eye resting whenever you are working to ensure properly rested peepers.

Aaaarrrrrrrrr

I think the problem with not being able to sleep for hours after is a fairly well known issue with using a computer just before you go to bed. Your brain is still very active after you switch off and it can take a while to come to a rest, that doesn't sound very scientific but it's better than the start of this post.


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Jimmy
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Location: Back in the USA
Posted: 7th Oct 2008 06:01
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Or you could put patches over both eyes. Accessibility features aren't just for the disabled.

You agree don't you, Sam?

"Oh hey, nice website Jimmy, it's really nice and fancy." -- That C++ Nerd
Visit. Website. NOW!
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Uncle Sam
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Location: West Coast, USA
Posted: 7th Oct 2008 10:10 Edited at: 7th Oct 2008 10:10
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Bah, it's been proven that computers do not affect eyesight. My eyedoctor said so. It's looking at ANYTHING too long from the same distance that will.

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Roxas
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Posted: 7th Oct 2008 16:47
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Its proven that Old monitors not LCD's affect eyesight.. And i can confirm this i dont have good eyesight but i can still see great without glasses and i can say this monitor really makes my eyes nervous. Thats why im looking into window at times.

Tho i oreder 18" LCD monitor yesterday So that should not be proplem anymore.

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Hobgoblin Lord
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Posted: 8th Oct 2008 06:42
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Having worked in a call center for years I sympathise with you Aiki, it would be nice if you could rest your eyes but of course calls tend to come back to back etc and you get no rest. What I used to do was look away from the monitor and doodle or something when I was talking to someone and immediate attention to what was on the screen was not needed.

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=73324&b=8
My RPG WIP, check it out
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bitJericho
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Posted: 8th Oct 2008 08:36
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Actually, in the 3 years I've stared at a computer all day, I've gotten used to it My eyes rarely hurt unless i've been doing a long gaming session.


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Jesusaurisrex
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Location: the heart and soul of all
Posted: 8th Oct 2008 08:45
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apparently everything to do with computers is bad for you these days. it makes you fat, ruins your eyes, gives you cancer, makes ADD worse, ect....

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Agent Dink
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Posted: 8th Oct 2008 13:38
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Do what Hobgoblin said.

I personally don't find staring at monitors gives me eyestrain. It has before. Like if I had some days off work and all I did was game, program, or do graphics art, I'd start to feel some strain, but usually it's because I'd move closer to the screen for those activities. Keep yourself at a comfortable distance with a large enough monitor and a comfortable resolution and you should have no problems. The LCD flatscreens are better for your eyes, definitely, but the problems don't go away. Glasses don't correct your vision, and they do a part in making it worse. Wearing the glasses will stop your eyes from straining, but your eyes become dependent on the glasses and you will have decreased vision while not wearing them.

MISoft Studios - Silver-Dawn Gorilda is lost!

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Sasuke
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Posted: 8th Oct 2008 14:01
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What... staring at any object on a regular basis for long periods affects your eyes, mostly your depth perception. Also staring at any light soucre in a dark or dim room will damage your eyesite depending on distance. The best thing to do is average out the light in the room with your monitor, so your monitor is not that much different from the ambient light in the room, also take regular breaks to let your eye focus on something else.

A dream is a fantasy, if you achieve that fantasy it was never a dream to begin with.
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Jeff Miller
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Location: New Jersey, USA
Posted: 8th Oct 2008 14:17
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I've been staring at monitors for about 25 years, and here is how I've coped. With CRT's, I would always wear UV filter glasses (no optical lens). I use large LCD's now. I find the best way to prevent eye fatigue is to stare out a window every few minutes, even if only briefly, just to flex the eye lens by focusing on something far away. I've always kept my computer in a room where I can view out a window. I agree with the members who recommend keeping the light levels up in the room you are working in.

Where I work, there is a large room full of graphic artists working on high powered Mac's with very large CRT monitors just down the hall from me. The room has no lights on other than what glows from their screens. They claim that this is necessary because of the reflections the CRT surfaces would cast, which would interfere with their work. I think they are cruisin' for a bruisin' eye-wise.
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