Let’s be real, whose screen time has not increased since the pandemic. Being inside means only two things, either scrolling on social media or watching something on Netflix. Hence all this screen time causes strain on your eyes, causes issues like nearsightedness, dry eyes and something called computer vision syndrome. Let’s see each one of them in detail, and ways to prevent these:
Nearsightedness:
“All of this screen time can contribute to myopia [i.e., nearsightedness] since people aren’t getting enough time to relax their vision or look into the distance,” said a Connecticut-based behavioural optometrist, Juanita Collier. “And because we’re spending much more time inside, our bodies aren’t getting that important daily dose of vitamin D, which has been shown to decrease the progression of nearsightedness.”
Dry Eyes:
Two reasons for this issue, one is increased screen time and one is wearing masks. When you exhale the exhaled air directly goes to your eyes which can dry the eyes. Some solutions for this issue are, drink a lot of water, remember to blink frequently (especially when you are in front of the screen and cut down on caffeine (as caffeine dries the eyes).
Computer Vision Syndrome:
Screens make the eyes work harder since the fonts are small, colour contrast is not well defined, etc. “Common symptoms include eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and dry eyes,” Collier said. “The extent of an individual’s visual symptoms often depends on their level of visual abilities and the amount of time spent looking at a digital screen.” The basic solution for this problem is to get screen flares or if you wear glasses, make sure the lens of your glass blocks blue light.
