How to use your computer: 10 tips

The right distance between your eyes and the screen. It's a good idea to get up and leave your reading spot every now and then. The correct desk position. And in any case, let's not overdo it, especially when it comes to children, by spending hours glued to the computer.

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how to use the computer

HOW SI USA IL COMPUTER

Dry eye is not a problem related to a bad nutrition, or to the poor physical exercise (sources of various ailments), but it is a disorder that has a very specific root, especially for young people and the very young: the bad, sometimes terrible use of the computer.
The symptoms are obvious: burning eyes, unexplained tearing, discomfort, or the sensation of having a foreign body in the eye. It's as if a mosquito had touched it.
In general, women suffer from this disorder. menopause or people who have thyroid problemsBut the news is that dry eyes are rapidly increasing among young people and very young people, affected by the eyes, as if by a virus, byprolonged use of PCs, smartphones, tablets, video games and smartphones.

A search for the Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, in South Korea, carried out on a sample of approximately 1.000 children between 7 and 12 years old, has brought to light very significant, and even worrying, data. Numbers that we should keep in mind in our homes and offices. Children who suffer from dry eyes due to the use of electronic devices are 6,6 percent of the total, and 97 percent of them use their smartphone for 2 or 3 hours a dayThe percentage rises to 8,3 percent for children living in cities. Children who don't have any problems, in addition to using electronic devices for much shorter periods of time, also spend many more hours outdoors.
So: let's all learn, young and old, to use computers, and not waste our eyes, and therefore our health, with excessive technological compulsions. Here are the golden rules for using these devices wisely.

ALSO READ: How to sit correctly, even for long periods. 10 tips: no crossed legs and a straight back.

DRY EYE

Have we ever stopped to think about how much time we spend in front of smartphones, tablets, and computers? A team of British researchers has the answer: 23 years, just under a third of our lives . The calculation is simple: 56% of adults spend at least 7 hours a day in front of a screen, equivalent to 106 days a year. Multiplying this by the average life expectancy in Europe (which is around 80 years), we arrive at a figure of 23 years. A truly enormous amount, and this helps us take action to protect our health from the undesirable effects of screen exposure. A handbook from the American Academy of Optometry helps us establish simple measures to avoid straining our eyes and vision due to long hours of computer work.

THE DISTANCE FROM THE SCREEN

The first golden rule is the distance between us and the screen: in theory, it is equivalent to the length of our arm once extended, but it is better if we can place 50-80 cm between us and the monitor, because the closer we get, the more tiring it is for the eyes to focus on what we are reading.

BEWARE OF THE LIGHT

The second, indispensable, advice is to pay attention to light sources: the ambient light should be uniform and not create annoying glare or reflections on the screen, and for this reason too, the screen should be positioned just above eye level and so that it does not reflect light.
Even the monitor's brightness should be adjusted based on the time of day you're using your PC, avoiding excessive brightness. Never work in the dark.
Another trick is to prefer black or gray backgrounds to light or white ones, as this puts less strain on the eyes (and saves energy). More generally, it's best to avoid pages with tiring color combinations like red and blue, yellow and purple, or yellow and green. It's best to use the reading mode provided by each browser when visiting them.

THE 20 20 20 RULE

As a third tip , let's remember the "20-20-20" rule : every twenty minutes of work on the computer, take a 20-second break. In the US, the third 20 represents the distance you should cover for a short walk during your break: twenty feet, or about 6 meters. In any case, taking a couple of minutes off work every half hour is enough to allow your eyes to rest. During your break, try to look at distant objects, perhaps gazing out the window at the view. Focusing up close requires muscular effort, while looking farther away, beyond 4 meters, the eye is completely passive and doesn't tire.

how to use the computer
Never use your computer in the dark

BLINKING

It is also useful in this sense to remember to blink , to allow the eyes to lubricate and avoid dry eyes: the saying 'remind yourself to blink', translation of the original, does not mean that we should wink at our work colleague or the person sitting next to us at the desk.

THE POSITION OF THE DESK

Finally, the evergreen and extremely useful rule of desk posture : it's not just a matter of the keyboard, but also of your shoulders. Never hunch them, as this affects their muscles greatly, and stiffening also results in greater eye strain to focus.

It's best to keep the keyboard at a height that keeps your shoulders relaxed and your elbows slightly open. Finally, a valuable aid to reducing eye strain would be purchasing special glasses that block the radiation from bright screens. These are available in a variety of sizes and are excellent for preventing eye and vision problems.

HOW INSTALL AND UNINSTALL A PROGRAM

The installation methods for programs and apps vary depending on the devices used and the programs themselves: usually, you need to download the file, verifying it's safe, and follow the installation instructions. To uninstall a program on Windows, go to the Control Panel, find the list of installed programs and apps, right-click on the program, and click Uninstall.

HOW USE THE COMPUTER WITH THE MOUSE

The mouse allows us to select, move, open, and delete various elements on the PC screen. There are different types of mice, some connected via cable, others wireless. The mouse consists of a scroll wheel and two buttons, one on the left (which is the most used) and one on the right. Laptop mice are integrated under the keyboard. When we use the mouse, an arrow appears on the screen that follows our movements.

HOW BE SAFE WITH THE COMPUTER

To protect your computer from malware and hacking attempts, it's important to install a good antivirus software, keeping it updated, and use a firewall, which Windows already includes. It's also a good idea to avoid opening potentially harmful attachments, not clicking on suspicious links, and using strong passwords to protect your data. An additional security feature is two-factor authentication (2FA), an additional step for accessing a personal account online.

HOW SI USA WHATSAPP ON COMPUTER

WhatsApp can also be used on a computer: just open https://web.whatsapp.com in your Google Chrome browser and scan the QR code. Your phone must remain connected to the internet while using it, and it's important to have the latest version of WhatsApp installed.

ELECTRONIC IDENTITY CARD ON COMPUTER

More and more public administration entities are allowing you to access their online services using the CIE, the Electronic Identity Card. How does it work? Simply click "Enter with CIE" and follow the authentication process, which also requires entering the 8-digit PIN associated with the CIE.

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