The ranks of the nearsighted are growing, with a study  out this month from the National Eye Institute concluding that the condition has jumped from 25% of adults in the 1970s to more than 41% this decade. Researchers haven’t pinned down the exact cause (genetics can play a role) – but some are pointing the fingers at the plethora of digital screens parading before our eyes.

If you’ve used a computer, I don’t have to tell you that reading digitally is tougher on the eyes than reading the old-fashioned way. And the continual refocusing eyes do when texting or playing a video game can lead to blurred vision, headaches, and even long-term eye problems.

If someone you love is getting a new computer, video game, or cool text-friendly phone this holiday, here are a few pointers from the Vision Council:

• Best viewing distance is 18-28 inches from a computer screen, and four to five times the width of a TV screen.
• Lower-intensity light is best, so close drapes and lower indoor lights.
• Contrast and brightness of your TV or computer screen should be relatively the same as the environment.
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Take a 20-second break every 20 minutes, and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away. Then blink slowly 10 times to relax and rewet the eyes.

Find more tips on The Vision Council web site …