When we think of blinking, we usually think of it as a way to keep our eyes moist. Since I tend to have dry eyes, I always thought I was a frequent blinker for that reason. But apparently, the average number of times we blink is actually more than necessary if you’re just looking at it from a hydration perspective.
Since not blinking would technically mean getting more visual information, it seems like it’d be better to keep our eyes open. So why do we blink so much more than “necessary”? I found an article about a study that looked into exactly that.
According to the article,
The study revealed that blinking enhances the ability to track “large, slowly changing patterns” within the field of vision. Specifically, it showed that blinking increases retinal stimulation, which significantly improves visibility despite the temporary interruption of sight.
In other words, it seems like resetting visual info for a split second actually makes it easier to track slow-moving things. I realize I often blink when I’m trying to see something in the dark or when I’m staring at a spot to catch any slight changes. It’s interesting to think that this might be an unconscious effort to pull more information out of what I’m seeing—it really clicks with my own experience.
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