In today’s world, screen time plays a crucial role in our lives since screens are an important part of our everyday lives. From work to education to entertainment to social interaction, screens are used everywhere. You will find that the amount of time we spend on-screen, whether it is on computers, tablets, smartphones, or televisions, has increased rapidly, making people more concerned about the potential impact of prolonged screen usage. Whether you are a student, professional, or passionate gamer, it is very important to understand how screen time impacts your eyes and what can be done to maintain optimal eye health.
Using screens that emit blue light for a long time is usually dangerous for eyesight since it causes eyesight problems and makes your vision bad. As per a study, blue light is more dangerous for children as compared to adults since they absorb this light quickly. How much time you spend on screen is also an important part of maintaining your vision, since according to many surveys, screen time for different age groups varies. For children and seniors, it is usually less, and for adults, it is a little more. Here is a blog through which you will be able to understand screen time and its side effects.
Eye Problems Caused by Prolonged Screen Time
When an individual uses screens for a long period of time, it leads to a lot of eye problems. Some of these problems are short-term and usually do not last for a long period of time. Whereas some problems caused by excess use of screens are permanent, serious, and need to be taken care of. Listed below are some of the eye problems caused by prolonged screen time:
- Eye fatigue: If an individual is working for a long period on screen, then they need to focus on objects at different distances. When you constantly adjust your focus for different objects, your muscles get stressed, causing eye fatigue.
- Dry and irritated eyes: When an individual looks at the screen for a long period of time, they constantly stare at the screen and blink their eyes very little. This can make your eyes dry, and you will feel irritated, itchy, and gritty.
- Blurred vision: Constantly using a screen for a long time can make an individual’s eye muscles weak since they need to focus on one particular object for a long time. By doing this, it reduces the ability of an individual to function properly and causes blurry vision.
- Loss of focus: Prolonged use of a screen without a break can disturb the focus of an individual. When you are using a screen for a long time, it becomes difficult for the eyes to focus on a particular object since screens use bright colors and constantly change displays.
- Nearsightedness: As per studies, if an individual has increased their screen time, the chances of developing myopia also increase. Along with this, not indulging in outdoor activities can also cause nearsightedness in them.
Beyond the Eyes, It Affects Your Sleep And Overall Health
Prolonged use of screen time not only affects your vision, but it also has a lot of other side effects. There are a lot of adverse consequences of excessive screen usage, due to which an individual has to face a lot of health-related problems. The following are some of the problems, other than eye-related, that an individual can face.
- Improper Sleep Schedule
- Neck and Shoulder Pain
- Headaches
- Risk of Chronic Diseases
- Mental Health
- Poor Posture
- ADHD symptoms
- Screen Addiction
- FOMO
Can elongated screen time make bad vision worse?
However, there is no evidence that can prove that excessive use of a screen for a long period of time can make your bad vision worse. Eyesight problems such as nearsightedness or farsightedness can worsen over time by using screens for a long time since the eyes get stressed too much, making the individual uncomfortable. Those who are facing the problem of nearsightedness and, along with that, are using screens for hours have a greater chance of increasing their nearsightedness. Children who are growing up need to be a little more careful while using screens since it can have a very bad impact on their eyes while they are still growing.
Different Sources of Emitting Blue Light
Blue light is basically a visible light spectrum that can be seen by human eyes. It is also referred to as high-energy visible (HEV), and it has the shortest wavelength of around 380 to 500 nanometers and the highest energy of all visible colors. You will find that an individual is always surrounded by blue lights that are harmful for the human body. There are a lot of sources that emit blue light, such as the sun, digital screens, and LED lights. Listed below are some of the digital screens that emit blue light and are harmful for the eyes.
- Computers
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Mobile Phones
Do blue light glasses work?
Before we discuss how blue light glasses work, let’s know exactly what blue light glasses are. Blue-relight glasses are a special type of glasses that are designed to block the harmful light that is emitted by digital screens. As per different individuals, there are different outcomes after using blue-light glasses. For those with fewer eyesight problems, blue light glasses are used, whereas for those with complex vision, they do not get any relief from blue light glasses.
Blue-light glasses have shown good results in many cases since they have helped individuals with eye strains and other problems such as dryness, irritation, fatigue, and improved focus. Along with this, you will find that people who are wearing blue light glasses an hour before bedtime have improved their sleep quality. As per many surveys, blue light glasses have improved people’s overall health and sleep issues, which are mainly caused by prolonged screen time usage.
Average Screen Time for Different Age Groups
Screen time always varies for individuals depending upon their age group, gender, and what exactly they watch. Listed below is the average screen time for different age groups.
| Age Group | Time |
|---|---|
| 2 to 4 Years | 2 to 2.5 hours a day |
| 5 to 8 Years | Over 3 hours a day |
| 9 to 12 Years | Almost 5 hours a day |
| 13 - 19 Years | Almost 7.5 hours a day |
| 20 - 34 Years | Almost 8.8 hours a day |
| 35 - 54 Years | Almost 6 hours a day |
| 55 - 65 Years | Almost 5 hours a day |
Tips to Prevent Weak Eyesight
It is important for an individual to maintain good eyesight since it will help them live a healthy and prosperous life. In today’s world, where screen time is extremely high for different individuals, it has become very important to protect your eyes from strain and eye-related problems. If you don’t treat your weak eyesight properly, it can result in a number of problems, such as headaches, blurred vision, and even more serious eye disorders. Here are some tips that can help you fight against your weak eyesight.
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Proper lighting
- Protective eyewear
- Exercise regularly
- Don’t smoke
- Limit screen time
- Get enough sleep
Exercises to Strengthen Your Vision
There are a lot of exercises that can be used to enhance an individual’s eye-muscle flexibility, focus, and coordination. These exercises help an individual reduce their eye strain, improve their overall eye health, and sharpen their vision. Listed below are some of the exercises that an individual should follow to strengthen their vision.
1) Near and Far Focusing: This is one of the best exercises to improve the flexibility of the eyes, strengthen your eye muscles, and improve your focus. In this exercise, you have to place your thumb approximately 10 inches away from your face, and then you need to focus for 15 seconds. Now you need to focus for the next 15 seconds on an object that is 10 to 20 feet away. Repeat this task five to ten times a day.
2) Eye Rolling: Rolling your eyes is one of the best activities to improve your flexibility, and it also reduces tension. In this exercise, you just have to sit down in a comfortable way and then close your eyes. Now slowly roll your eyes in a circular motion. You can do clockwise and anti-clockwise turn-by-turn for a few seconds. You can repeat this exercise three to five times.
3) Blinking: It is an exercise that is used to keep an individual’s eyes moist, and it reduces dryness and strain from the eyes. It is a basic exercise in which you just have to blink your eyes rapidly for a few seconds so that your eyes get moist, and after that, close your eyes for 20 seconds and get relaxed. You can repeat this exercise for 20 minutes. Try to do this exercise when you have been using the screen for a long time.
4) Zooming: If an individual wants to increase their focus ability, then they can indulge in this zooming activity. It is a simple exercise in which you have to first sit comfortably, stretch your arm, and look at your thumb. You need to bring your thumb close to you until it is approximately 3 inches away, and you need to keep your focus on the thumb. Next, you can slowly take your thumb back to arm length and keep your focus. You can repeat this exercise approximately 10 times.
5) Follow the 20-20-20 rule: This is a very simple exercise that is used to prevent any kind of eyestrain. In this exercise, you have to take a break every 20 minutes from the screen for 20 seconds, and then you have to look at an object that is 20 feet away from you. This is one of the easiest exercises that can help you recover from eye strain or headaches.
Bottom Line
When an individual uses screens for a long period of time, it will definitely affect their eyesight and impact their overall eye health. Using a screen for a long period of time can lead to eye strain and other eye problems such as dryness, blurred vision, and difficulty focusing. It is very important for an individual to take regular breaks from the screen, have a proper screen position, and, along with this, have proper lighting in the room where they are using the screen. Additionally, you should properly practice eye exercises such as the 20-20-20 rule, zooming, blinking, and many more. While screens play an important role in modern life, mindful usage and preventive measures are key to preserving your vision and ensuring long-term well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, prolonged screen time can damage your eyes in the long term since it can lead to nearsightedness, also called myopia. So it is always suggested to use the screen for 2 to 3 hours a day.