With an increase in digital technology, many individuals suffer from physical discomfort after screen use for longer than two hours at a time. Computer Vision Syndrome, also referred to as Digital Eye Strain, describes a group of eye and vision-related problems that result from prolonged computer, tablet, e-reader and cell phone or TV use. Many individuals experience eye discomfort and vision problems when viewing digital screens for extended periods. The level of discomfort appears to increase with the amount of digital screen use.
About 80 percent of American adults report using digital devices for more than two hours per day with nearly 67 percent using two or more devices simultaneously, and 59 percent report experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain.
The computer-using population in India is more than 40 million, and 80% of them have discomfort due to CVS. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health survey has reported that visual symptoms occur in 75-90% as opposed to 22% musculoskeletal disorders of video display terminals workers.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON ADULTS?
Additionally, close to 80 percent report using digital devices, including TV, in the hour before going to sleep, with almost 55 percent in the first hour they are awake.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN?
While more than 70 percent of American adults report their child(ren) receives more than two hours of screen time per day, nearly 25 percent are still not concerned about the impact of digital devices on their child(ren)'s developing eyes.
Meanwhile, besides playing outside, the most popular activities children engage in are playing on a digital device (23.1 percent) and watching TV (20.1 percent). And American adults report their children experience the following after being exposed to two or more hours of screen time:
Are you facing any of these?
Most common symptoms include eye and vision problems, such as:
Am I at risk for Dry Eye or CVS?
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What causes Computer Vision Syndrome?
Our eye muscles never evolved to stare at screens or digital devices for long periods of time.
Two of the main culprits behind Computer Vision Syndrome and Digital Eye Strain are blue Light and glare.
- Blue Light : is the high energy light that digital devices and LED lights emit. Blue Light sits at the end of the visible light spectrum, right next to UV light. Its short wavelength, which is inversely correlated to energy level (meaning the shorter the wavelength and lower the frequency, the higher the energy), enables that high energy to stress the ciliary muscle in the eye.
- Glare : the second culprit of Computer Vision Syndrome and Digital Eye Strain, is the unwanted reflection from the screen that enters the eye. This, in turn, stresses the ciliary muscle in the eye and causes issues like dry, strained eyes and headaches.
Ask our experts more about blue coated glasses.
- Poor focusing: our eyes are naturally at rest with a view distance of 20 feet away, so looking at something like a phone, tablet, or computer, which is generally 18-24 inches away from us, further stresses our eyes. Specifically, the ciliary muscle in our eye spasms back and forth to adjust to this close proximity viewing. This blurs vision, causes headaches, and leads to eye fatigue and strain.
- Poor Blinking: The bright light from our screens—and air-conditioned or well-ventilated environments with constant flowing air—discourages blinking. Blinking prevents our eyes from drying out, so less blinking equates to more dry and itchy eyes.
- Poor posture and positioning: We often hunch over our digital devices or position them in awkward places, which can lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain.
