If we use our computer or laptop screen for 10 hours a day for decades, our eyes are going to optimize for that distance (1 to 1.5 feet). Over time, we are going to lose our distance vision and near vision.
This is the "use it or lose it" theory of how our body works. This happens for many muscles in our body so why wouldn't it happen with our eyes?
So, I set out to find out.
A few months ago, I set my 27 inch monitor about 5 feet away but left the fonts at the usual size. At first, it was a little uncomfortable. But now my eyes seem to have adapted to it. In fact, my far vision seems to have improved (tested against a mini eye chart at 10').
I am going to move the monitor further away gradually and also intentionally read books at a close distance.
Check back in a year.
Update 03/26/2026:
My vision is now back to better than 20/30.
Have you played Valorant with the monitor 5' away?
Update 09/14/2026:
My vision has improved enough that my glasses are obsolete. My dominant more myopic eye has improved more than the less dominant eye. This fits nicely into the "use it or lose it" theory. My vision hasn't quite reached 20/20 yet though.
I've switched to an old 1080p Dell monitor placed 6 feet away. The display resolution is 1080p. The text size is the system default on MacOS. I can comfortably read at this resolution. I can even do 3d design work in Fusion at this distance.
The experiment continues. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
