Programming and Presbyopia: Tips for Senior Developers

The Best Programming Languages and IDEs for Healthy Eyes

Kesk -*-
6 min readApr 9

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels:

As programmers, we spend countless hours staring at screens and writing code. But what happens as we age and our bodies begin to change? For many of us, one of the biggest challenges is presbyopia, or the gradual loss of near vision. In this article, we will explore some common problems we face as we age, as well as some strategies for coping with presbyopia and preventing eyestrain.

First, let’s take a closer look at presbyopia. This condition affects almost everyone (The only people who are free of presbyopia are those with myopia, but the rest of us suffer or will suffer from it.) as we age and can cause difficulty with tasks that require near vision, such as reading small print or working on a computer screen. This can be a major challenge for programmers, especially as we rely heavily on our vision to read and write code.

About programming languages

But presbyopia isn’t the only issue that aging programmers face. Eyestrain is another common problem and can be caused by a variety of factors, including screen glare, improper lighting, and poor posture. Additionally, certain programming languages can be more visually demanding than others and may exacerbate these issues.

When it comes to programming languages, some are definitely easier on the eyes than others. Here are a few examples of programming languages that may cause more eyestrain and fatigue than others, along with some tips for reducing the impact on your vision:

  1. Small fonts and syntax complexity: Languages such as C and C++ are notorious for their small font sizes and complex syntax, which can make it difficult to read and navigate code. To reduce eyestrain, try increasing the font size in your code editor or IDE, or use a high-contrast color scheme that makes the code easier to read.
  2. Overuse of color: Some languages, such as Ruby and Python, can be visually overwhelming due to their use of bright colors and syntax highlighting. While this can make the code easier to read at first glance, it can also cause eye fatigue over time. To reduce the impact, try using a color scheme with softer, more muted colors…

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Kesk -*-

Software engineer - software Enthusiast - Sci-Fi writer.