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It's no surprise that e-readers like the Kindle have become a staple of the technological landscape. While digital books may not render their physical counterparts obsolete anytime soon, e-readers offer certain benefits, such as the opportunity to take a book anywhere and the instant gratification that comes from downloading and owning a new publication in a matter of seconds. E-Readers may be popular, convenient, and practical but the question still lingers -- are they healthy for our eyes? According to the New York Times, there is no straightforward answer. Dr. Travis Meridith, chair of ophthalmology department at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, claims that properly interacting with e-readers is crucial. "The current problem with reading on screens is that we need to adjust our bodies to our computer screens, rather than the screens adjusting to us." Users need to remember to blink or just get up and take a break every so often instead of staring into a virtual oblivion for hours at a time. When debating the health-based pros and cons of the e-reader, this sort of complex ambivalence seems to exist across the board. In most situations, physical books are better for your eyes, but this not the case when it comes to reading newspapers or softcover books. Additionally, while e-ink's very low contrast ratio is ideal in bright sunlight environments, the experience can become uncomfortable for the eyes in dark setting due to the screen's low contrast ratios. Our take away: e-readers are wonderfully efficient and useful. Yet for the sake of your eyes, please proceed with a certain amount of due caution and moderation. Do E-Readers Cause Eye Strain? [The New York Times]