Multiple monitors; Going blind?

[clownvomit]

Having had three crt's for about 3 months (moving them from one dorm room to another was to daunting of a task) I didn't notice any problems, but upon talking to my friend I have become aware of possible eye sight damage.

He told me due to the fact that he had a 20 inch and 2 17 inch crt's (different refresh rates) his nightime eye sight has suffered considerably. He was using them for maybe two years.

He told me if I were to run more than one monitor again to make sure they were exaclty the same, and all had the same refresh rate.

So my question is, have any of you noticed vision problems, does my friends theory sound plausible, or do you think he is full of it.

I am on the fence.

Edit: the only reason I ask is I am about to load up on these 2005fpw's

 

[ds-]

I hope not....

 

[tbt101]

Well, it is hard to say. How often is he on his computer? If you do nothing all day but stare at a computer screen, or screens, of course your vision at the end of the day is going to be blurry! Just like if you did nothing but watch TV all day you vision at the end of the day would be blurry.

This seems to be the case since it is his "nighttime vision" there is no seperation between Daytime vision and Nighttime vision, one simply has vision. He isn't going blind, he is either staring at those monitors for too long, or he needs to alter the refresh rates.

 

[Maad]

I think this has a lot less (nothing, in fact) to do with the multiple monitor thing as much as the monitor thing itself. Staring at CRT displays is going to cause a strain, period.

 

[Kuttermax]

I think this has a lot less (nothing, in fact) to do with the multiple monitor thing as much as the monitor thing itself. Staring at CRT displays is going to cause a strain, period.

I'm not an opthalmologist so it is hard to no exactly if there is any to excessive eye due to different refresh rates etc.

Different parts of the eye's anatomy are responsible for color and black and white vision. In brightlight (and when staring at a bright computer screen) our vision is primarily created with "cones". Black and white vision (and night vision) is primarily formed by "rods".

That being said, it is recommended that one should take breaks every hour when staring at the screen all day. By focusing on different objects at different distances, the eyes get a chance to "rest" from being locked in at one specific focal length.

 

[clownvomit]

Well, he had his set up at work so he spent a good deal of an 8 hour day on it for about 1.5 to 2 years.

He got rid of the two 17 inchers and just has the 20 but he says his vision hasn't returned. He still finds it difficult to see at night.

I don't know what else he does when I don't see him so I don't know if something else was contributing, but it scared me a little.

I wonder if the LCD's are different in that respect to the CRT's?

 

[tbt101]

Sounds to me like it is merely staring at the monitor all day long. I would think that an LCD would help the eye strain, simply because the colors might seem a little less harsh, and the screen is all together just a little less...well, harsh. I would tell him to try out an LCD sometime, just see if his eye vision gets any better. If not, tell him to go to the eye doctor.

 

[Maad]

Well, setting aside the LCD/CRT issues and staring at screens all day.. Some notes:

- some people's vision deteriorates much quicker than others as a result of genetics, diet, and so on.

- some people's vision deteriorates much quicker as a result of looking at screens a lot quicker than others (we all know at least one person who has been staring at screens for a decade or two and STILL doesn't need glasses (!))

and

- with regards to staring at screens all day, yes, I have also heard that taking breaks and "relaxing" your eyes by looking away from your screen and looking at something farther off (say, the trees in your backyard or the view outside your office window.. etc) might be helpful in prolonging the health of your eyes. In particular, (and i'm not sure why), I've heard that if you decide to take an eye-break it is particularily helpful to focus on something far off and green in color. Maybe an expert could explain where this idea comes from.

You know, it's kinda funny how much we talk about display OUTPUT devices in this forum and how much we debate over the little details and specs and so-on and we seem to often forget our most-important INPUT devices .. our eyes

Maybe this forum should get some eye doctors to weigh in on the FAQs.

 

[phoderpants]

I'm not an opthalmologist so it is hard to no exactly if there is any to excessive eye due to different refresh rates etc.

Different parts of the eye's anatomy are responsible for color and black and white vision. In brightlight (and when staring at a bright computer screen) our vision is primarily created with "cones". Black and white vision (and night vision) is primarily formed by "rods".

That being said, it is recommended that one should take breaks every hour when staring at the screen all day. By focusing on different objects at different distances, the eyes get a chance to "rest" from being locked in at one specific focal length.

zactly. monitors make your eyes bad though. all the people i know that spend all day on the computer are in the process of going blind.

 

[Yonzie]

zactly. monitors make your eyes bad though. all the people i know that spend all day on the computer are in the process of going blind.

I've spent all day looking at screens for the last 8 years and I'm most definitely NOT going blind... Yes, I use glasses, but I've used them since I was 7 or so... And yes, I've spent at least a few years looking at mismatched CRTs.

To the OP, I think your friend is in the "unlucky" category...

 

[waddles]

Focusing on green things helps because the yellow/green part of the spectrum is the part that our eyes are most sensitive to... it would give your cones the easiest thing to look at.

For the OP, I highly doubt that different refresh rates is the cause of his bad eyes. More likely the fact that he stared at three computer monitors for two years...