I never thought I’d say this, but I really would prefer to not look at my computer for a while. My eyes have become victim to the intense brightness of my laptop screen, my headaches, and pangs with exhaustion and frustration. I’m tired, and so are my eyes. I don’t want to look at my computer screen anymore, but alas, I have no other choice. Nowadays, almost all of our assignments for school involve some form of computer use, ranging from conducting research to writing—I mean, typing—essays, and personally, my eyesight is starting to wear down. Granted, I’m thankful for the Internet—it’s an absolute mystery to me how our parents and generations before them had to go to the library gasp and look up information in encyclopedias, biographies, etc. Everything is online now, and as convenient and time-saving as it is, it definitely isn’t nearly as healthy.

In fact, such a thing as “Computer Vision Syndrome” exists, and about 50-90% of adults who work at a computer screen have eye problems relative to it. I’m pretty sure almost every college student as experienced the symptoms included with CVS, since we stare at computer screens, overhead projectors, and—most of all—our smartphones almost every second of the day. While no current studies prove that computer screens have a direct, negative impact on our eyes, it is still very clear that our eyesight isn’t further improving. Personally, I’m quite visually impaired. I have -4.50 vision—in other words, I can’t even see what’s in front of me without glasses or contacts. The computer screen seems to worsen it: a few weeks ago, due to some habitual procrastination, I spent a good six or seven hours staring at my computer screen, completing online tasks for the following day. When I finally closed my laptop, the room looked blurry and a bit darker. It took a few hours for my eyesight to transition back to its original strength, but knowing that I had more work waiting for me on the computer didn’t provide any alleviation.

So my question is, why should our schoolwork almost cost us our eyesight? I know people with perfect vision who fell victim to the computer screen and now have to wear contacts or glasses as a result. Not that contacts or glasses are a big sacrifice or anything, but if vision enhancements can be avoided, why walk straight in the direction that leads to having to use them? Admittedly, the world just can’t seem to operate soundly without the resources the internet provides; having everything online, everything in one place makes it easier for teachers and students alike to communicate, so I doubt that will go away anytime soon. Still, surely we can make more of an effort to close our laptops, find another stimulating or entertaining activity that allows us to rest our eyes for a while. And when we do have to refer to computers for assistance, we can do so with stronger eyesight.