# Computers cause us to blink less? Why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 6, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994 "2002-12-06T19:23:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994/1 "2002-12-06T19:23:33Z")

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My ophthalmologist tells me that people blink less often when they’re looking at a computer monitor; hence the irritated eyes that can sometimes accompany prolonged computer use.

I failed to ask the doc WHY that would be, but now I’m curious. Does anyone here have a theory, or actually KNOW why we’d blink less, when looking at a copmuter screen?

Danke -  
Kn\*ckers

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**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994/2 "2002-12-06T19:25:35Z")

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And, since there’s no such THING as a “copmuter screen”, I probably meant “computer”.

Whoops. Carry on.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994/3 "2002-12-06T19:27:10Z")

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Because people stare at them. Especially when they’re playing games and they’re afraid they’ll miss something.

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994/4 "2002-12-06T19:33:54Z")

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Yeah, because you’re looking at it all the time. I wouldn’t be surprised if reading a book caused you to blink less too.

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**Author:** ![EarthStation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/67e7ee/32.png) [@EarthStation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EarthStation)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computers-cause-us-to-blink-less-why/140994/5 "2002-12-07T06:52:15Z")

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Stop Looking at porn,