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These days, it feels like it’s screen time all the time. Whether you’re working away on the computer at work or doom-scrolling on your phone at home (and everywhere else!), it’s hard to avoid screen time. As they used to say back in the old days, it’s enough to give us square eyes.
It’s not your imagination, either. Research shows we’re using screens more than ever. One study suggests that kids are spending up to 30% of their waking time in front of screens, while some health guidelines recommend adults reduce screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work.
Of course, the screens in our lives play some important roles. They help us stay connected, informed and entertained. But is there a downside to all that screen time?
These two modern-day ailments would suggest so: digital eye strain and screen fatigue are all too common.
To help us keep our eyes trained (but hopefully not strained) on this issue, we chatted with Alissa Maillet, optometric educator and Deakin University’s senior lecturer in the School of Medicine.
Unless you’ve printed this article, you’re reading it on a screen. Hopefully, it doesn’t cause fatigue from too much screen time.
But what exactly is screen fatigue, anyway?
Maillet defines the term as a symptom of prolonged screen use, whether that’s from gaming, detailed work, or long periods of screen scrolling.
Manifestations of screen fatigue can include sore or tired eyes, headaches and dizziness, as well as shoulder and neck pain.
According to Maillet, digital eye strain is almost the same as screen fatigue. The difference is that digital eyes strain is all about eye-related symptoms, while screen fatigue encompasses symptoms throughout the whole body. There are a few reasons why our eyes might get strained when staring at screens.
‘Focusing intently on a screen results in reduced blink rate which may cause or exacerbate ocular surface exposure and discomfort,’ Maillet says. ‘Other contributing factors are screen glare and reflections, incorrect working distances or angles, poor lighting, and improper posture.’
For people with existing eye issues, the symptoms of digital eye strain might be worse.
‘Where underlying ocular conditions such as uncorrected refractive error or focusing/convergence difficulties exist, prolonged concentration exacerbates these issues and results in soreness, redness or watering of the eyes, headaches and fatigue,’ Maillet says.
For as long as screens have existed, we’ve been told to worry about our eyes. Maybe you remember the old wives’ tale about sitting too close to the TV?
Fortunately, there’s no need to worry that screen fatigue or digital eye strain are causing you permanent eye damage; the discomfort is temporary. That being said, there are still some very real screen fatigue symptoms to watch out for.
According to Maillet, common symptoms of digital eye strain include dry eyes, itching, gritty sensation, tearing, blurred vision and headaches. ‘The soreness/gritty sensation is usually due to reduced blink rate, and blurred vision and headaches result from strain to the accommodative (focusing) and vergence (moving the eyes together) systems of the eye,’ Maillet says.
Though the discomfort is real, eye strain doesn’t last long. The symptoms usually disappear when you stop looking at a screen. Or, at least within a few hours. Enough time to recharge for another big study, scrolling or gaming session, maybe?
How to reduce eye strain from screens
Let’s face it: we’re not giving up our phones, laptops and TVs anytime soon. So, what can we do to reduce eye strain from all that screen time?
Maillet has some advice, including:
How you sit at and set up your workstation can make a big difference, too. ‘Ensure correct, proper posture and desk set up,’ says Maillet. ‘The height of the screen should be lower than the eye line, the screen should be arm’s length away, and sufficient ambient lighting with monitor brightness adjusted to match that of the workspace.’
Maillet mentioned already that excessive screen time can reduce our blink rate. In these cases, eye drops can be handy. ‘Use of ocular lubricants can help with symptoms associated with reduced blink rate,’ Maillet says.
Keep in mind, though: some professionals recommend avoiding certain types of drops, such as those with preservatives or ‘redness remover’. It’s a good idea to speak to a healthcare professional to find the best eyedrops for your screen fatigue symptoms.
If you need glasses already, then you’ll definitely want to wear them while looking at a screen. ‘People who have an underlying need – refractive error, reduced focusing ability or misalignment of the eyes – will benefit from wearing glasses as this reduces the overall strain on the visual system,’ says Maillet.
Maillet also says anti-reflective coatings can be good when it comes to reducing glare at screen time. However, she says the jury is still out on blue light filter glasses for eye strain. ‘Blue light coatings have not been shown to reduce symptoms of digital eye strain nor improve vision.’
Besides physical issues like eye strain, some studies suggest that excessive screen time might be associated with issues like ‘lowered self-esteem, increased incidence and severity of mental health issues and addictions, slowed learning and acquisition, and an increased risk of premature cognitive decline.’
Considering how much we use our devices, the reality of screen fatigue is an eye-opening reminder to keep our screen use in check. Without returning to the analogue age, though, there are a few ways to avoid computer eye strain and screen fatigue.
One study suggests less than four hours of screen time, taking regular breaks, tracking screen time and getting outdoors. And, as Maillet already pointed out, using techniques like the 20/20/20 method can help, too. Remember: too much screen time can cause fatigue. It’s all about balance!
