Could Too Much Screen Time Be Affecting Your Vision?

Screen’s are a big part of our everyday lives, both at work and at home. However, there is growing evidence that excessive screen time can have negative effects on your health, especially your eye health. With technology advancements and most business operations shifting to digital systems, as a working professional you are unlikely to avoid screen use. 

A study was conducted that concluded on average, Australians spend 5.5 hours on their phone everyday (this equates to 17 years over our lifetime). It is a scary thought when it’s calculated all together isn’t it? And that’s not even including screen time at work or watching television at home. 

Before we investigate how you can manage your screen time in a healthy way, let’s first look at the effect it is having on your vision and eye health. 

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME CAUSES BLURRY VISION 

Believe it or not, excessive screen time is the most common cause for blurry vision. When you are concentrating on a screen for too long, your lens begins to twist, distort and lock into place. 

When your eye locks into place, your eye lens can lose flexibility making it difficult to change focus quickly from your screen to something in the distance. This can make it hard for professionals to focus on their screen for a long period of time. 

If left untreated, your vision could further deteriorate resulting in long-term changes such as myopia or astigmatism. Both of these conditions will require you to wear glasses all the time. 

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME CAUSES DRY EYES 

Your eyes can become quite dry and irritated from screen time because of the effort required to concentrate in conjunction with the brightness of the screen. Common symptoms of dry eyes are squinting and rubbing your eyes or excessively blinking – these are all natural reactions to your eyes feeling sore. 

The reason we squint is to reduce the amount of light entering our eyes from screens, however squinting causes us to blink two to four times less. Reduced blinking slows the rate at which the oily layer on the surface of your eye replenishes, therefore, causing your tears to evaporate quicker and your eyes to feel dry. 

Again, dry eyes will limit the amount of time you’re able to focus on a screen in one go. Rubbing your eyes too much can also cause the cornea to thin which over time could lead to corneal astigmatism or even keratoconus. Both of these conditions will cause permanent deterioration to your vision long-term. 

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME CAUSES MYOPIA OR SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS 

The rate of Myopia in Australia has doubled since the 1970’s to 36% currently. These rates are forecast to increase to 55% by 2050. Myopia causes blurry vision in the distance which requires the correction of glasses. 

Your eyes naturally lock into place when looking at a screen for a long period of time. Your brain does this to help sustain attention to the work at hand. Over time, your brain will create this locked position as a habit which will change the overall structure of your eyeball. As a result your eyeball can become permanently lengthened which leads to myopia. 

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT SLEEP PATTERNS

Whilst your sleep patterns do not directly correlate to your eye health, distorted sleep patterns will affect your general health so it is worth mentioning. Our screens, including phones, TVs, computers and tablets all emit blue light. Blue light can affect your circadian rhythm by slowing down the production of melatonin (our sleep hormone). 

The impact on melatonin production depends on the clarity of the image you see on the screen. The blurrier the image, the more light that is scattered inside the eye. While the correct focus is important in glasses, the appropriate lens coating can also make a huge difference.

There are certain lens coatings that can be applied to your glasses that stop your eyes from absorbing blue light, in addition, these lens coatings also reduce reflection. The best thing you can do to protect your sleep cycle is to limit your screen time before bed because the closer you are to sleeping the more your melatonin production will be affected. 

TIPS ON HOW TO LIMIT SCREEN TIME FOR WORKING PROFESSIONALS 

As previously mentioned, if you work in a white-collar profession, it is almost guaranteed that you need a computer or laptop in order to perform the functions of your role. 

Below are some tips and suggestions to help reduce your screen time outside of work: 

• Turn off email and phone notifications – notifications act as a trigger to check your device, by turning off notifications you’re likely to look at your screen less.
• Keep the bedroom screen free. Many people fall prey to scrolling before bed and when they first wake up. If you need your phone for your alarm, set it outside the room or get an old-school alarm clock.
• Set a time limit for screen time outside of work. If you’re one to spend hours scrolling on social media or watching TV, try and replace these activities with a physical activity (preferably outside). 

HOW CAN WE HELP AT EYES BY DESIGN?  

If you think you may be suffering from any of the above symptoms due to excess screen time, the best thing you can do is get an eye examination as soon as possible. The earlier your eye health concerns can be addressed by an optometrist, the earlier you’ll be able to receive treatment to prevent further deterioration. 

You can book online here.