Euro 2024: Enjoy, but keep the TV at a healthy distance from your eyes

GABY KANICHOWSKY (jumping in air) celebrates with his Israel teammates after scoring in stoppage time late Tuesday night to give the blue-and-white a 1-0 victory over visiting Belarus at Bloomfield Stadium in their Group I Euro 2024 qualifier.

Euro 2024 is already here, meaning the whole world will be staring at the screen for hours on end, whether in bars and restaurants or on home televisions. If you haven't already noticed, many companies use the opportunity to sell their TVs - the bigger, the better.

Euro 2024 is the European Football Championship, the main tournament for national teams organized by the Union of European Football Associations.

The Euros have been held once every four years since 1960. Israel did not qualify for Euro 2024 this year after finishing fourth in the qualifiers and failing to reach the playoffs.

Still, the Euros are expected to bring in record viewing this year, and with it many hours in front of the screens.

Don't be glued to the screen

So, if that's how you plan on spending these hot summer days, from what distance is it recommended to watch the screen?

IS MYOPIA common among ultra-Orthodox students? (credit: Bud Helisson/Unsplash)

IS MYOPIA common among ultra-Orthodox students? (credit: Bud Helisson/Unsplash)

There are no clear medical guidelines, but it is common to recommend a distance of at least three meters from the TV. To be more exact, the formula that can help estimate the recommended distance is to multiply by two the number of centimeters of the screen area.

For example, if you have a 55 inch screen, the area in square centimeters, is about 140.

Multiply this screen by two and you will get 280: 2.8m.

It is always advisable to take another drop back, that is, a distance of three meters from the screen.

It is recommended not to completely turn off the lighting in the room: Just one light on will reduce eye fatigue. Additionally, it is recommended to take breaks from time to time during viewing.

Is a higher resolution also healthier? Definitely. The higher the viewing quality, experts claim - there is less risk of damage to vision.

Contrary to the belief that viewing screens up close causes nearsightedness, there is actually no proven connection between distance and myopia.

However, we do know that those who focus their vision less often can suffer from fatigue of the focusing muscles, end up nearsighted, and may need glasses.

Therefore, from time to time - both when you spend hours in front of the computer and when you spend hours in front of the television - take a break, go to the window, look at the horizon, and focus your vision on something else for about two minutes - and return to the activity.