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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 16, 2023 41 EXPERT'S CORNER How to keep your employees healthy from the pitfalls of excessive screen time By Dr. Premilla Banwait W hether your team members are working in the office, remotely or doing a little bit of both, they likely spend many hours looking at blue light-emitting computers or smartphones. In fact, one report found people spend an average of 13 hours per day using digital devices, including for work and leisure. While in some cases that screen time may be unavoidable, it's important to recognize that excessive exposure to blue light may have short- and life- term consequences — both for your employees and your organization. That's because blue light — which is a short-wavelength, high-energy light — has the potential to disrupt daily routines and damage eyes over time. The sun is the largest source of blue light, but computers, smart- phones and other digital devices also emit it — at much closer range and for extended periods, even long after the sun has set. Researchers continue to evaluate the potential health implications that may come from too much exposure to blue light, including sleep problems and symptoms that are collectively called digital eye strain. To help reduce the potential health and productivity impacts of all that screen time on your employees, here are five strategies for employers to consider. Share information about healthy computer use. Consider reminding employees to increase the distance between their eyes and their screens. Employees should try to avoid long sessions in front of screens, in part by following the 20-20-20 rule: After 20 minutes of computer use, stop and focus on something that's at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to give your eyes a break. Focus on clear computer screens. Encourage clean computer screens to help improve display readability. Suggest repositioning computers or using curtains, shades or blinds to help avoid harsh lighting that puts shadows or glare on the screen. Also, consider making available screen filters to help employees reduce their blue-light exposure at work. Tap into safer technology. Some laptops and monitors now have built-in technology designed to help filter out blue light without dimin- ishing the viewing experience. Some laptops now feature embedded blue light-filtering prop- erties, while specialized screen protectors with similar technology can enable employees to retrofit existing smartphones, tablets, laptops and computer monitors. Encourage comprehensive eye exams. Squinting while looking at screens, discomfort or dizziness may all be signs of eye problems that can be identified during a comprehensive eye exam. Even if there are no warning signs, starting in their 20s, adults should get a baseline eye exam. After that check, an ophthalmologist can suggest how often to do future exams. Offer additional resources. Glasses with an anti-reflective coating may help prevent digital eye strain symptoms. Employers can look for a vision plan that provides discounts on blue light-filtering eyewear, which may help employees reduce the risk of developing digital eye strain. Dr. Premilla Banwait is the vice president of clinical programs at UnitedHealthcare, a major insurer in Connecticut. Opinion & Commentary OTHER VOICES Liberal arts education will equip students for AI-driven workforce By Joseph M. Catrino and Rick DelVecchio N o surprise, but the future of work is here. The influx of artificial intelligence, bots and automation has changed everything we know about how work is done. Some jobs are disappearing, new ones emerging; all accelerated by the global pandemic. At the present rate of change, 69 million jobs will be created and 83 million jobs destroyed over the next five years, leading to a global labor market contraction of 14 million jobs, according to the World Economic Forum's 2023 "The Future of Jobs Report." Other outlets predict different figures; some more, some less. Either way, these are daunting numbers. Like you, we worry about our own jobs. More broadly, we think about the future of higher education as it hangs on the precipice of the enroll- ment cliff, and with many questioning the value of a liberal arts education. Beneath all this worry about the future of work is an encouraging sign, a silver lining: 69 million jobs will be created. How do we prepare for jobs that don't yet exist? In her book, "Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet," author Michelle Weise states, "The most valuable workers now and in the future will be those who can combine human + technical skills (human+ for short) and adapt to the changing needs of the workplace." Weise's framework suggests a model of lifelong learning to constantly re-skill and upskill throughout one's career as older skills become outdated and new technologies emerge. In many cases, this might involve learning a specific tech- nical skill, such as Tableau for data visualization. This got us thinking. What does this mean in a future driven by AI that, in this example, can create compelling data visualization for you from a simple written prompt? What does this mean for jobs with technical skill requirements once AI can manage those tasks? In an AI-driven workforce, liberal arts students are tremendously equipped to succeed. As two longtime administrators in the liberal arts, we see an increasing value in the skills students acquire in such an educational environment. As ChatGPT will tell you when asked to compare itself to humans, "Humans possess the ability to experience emotions, empathize with others, and understand complex emotional nuances. This emotional intelligence is a fundamental aspect of human interaction and connection." We know this to be true. Students in the liberal arts excel in skills like critical thinking, communica- tion, creativity, flexibility and problem-solving. The most compelling innovations yet to come will likely partner humans and artificial intelligence. As AI lowers the technical barriers to entry in many jobs and industries, the nature of the "Human+ model" will begin to shift. As we move deeper into an AI future, we must deliver short-term value by teaching discrete technical skills like data visualization. And we must prepare students to use human skills to integrate insights provided by AI to interpret and opera- tionalize the output for human users. Already, many liberal arts students are leveraging the concept of design thinking, a human-centered approach to problem-solving and innovation. While AI provides information with speed, efficiency and consistency, the human elements of creativity, critical thinking, innovation and empathy — seen in a liberal arts curriculum — can delve into human emotions and support the commonsense reasoning needed to thrive in this new age. In a recent FastCompany article, Jim Frawley writes, "The collabora- tion between human creativity and AI's analytical power has the potential to drive innovation, foster growth, and unlock new possibilities for both individuals and organizations in the future." His opinion supports our argu- ment for collaboration between AI and the liberal arts. However, the most compelling piece of Frawley's commentary is what he believes is the secret to thriving in the age of AI, automation and bots. It's philosophy, one of the oldest liberal arts. Frawley notes, "fostering creativity has become a crucial factor for success in any industry. A philosoph- ical approach to work can encourage innovation and imagination among employees, help teams adapt to the presence of AI, and allow workers to stay ahead of an increasingly competitive job market." At the end of the day, there is no value in positioning human abilities against the capabilities of AI. Bots, AI and automation alone can advance several industries and fields; however, when coupled with what really makes us human — the empathy, creativity, emotional intel- ligence and critical thinking skills deeply embedded in a liberal arts education — is where innovation can really happen. Joseph M. Catrino is the executive director of Career & Life Design at Trinity College. Rick DelVecchio is the director of career develop- ment, College of Arts & Sciences, Quinnipiac University. Joseph M. Catrino Rick DelVecchio Premilla Banwait