The majority of the population spends more than five hours a day looking at screens. And for office workers, it’s even longer. They get up in the morning, check their phone, then work on a computer all day before watching TV or getting back on their smartphone later at night. 

What are the effects of so much screen time on your eyes?

Does Staring at a Screen Damage Your Eyesight? 

In the past, some experts worried that people staring at screens all day long would damage their eyesight. Light from cathode ray tubes, such as those seen on old TV sets, would harm the retina if there was too much exposure.

Fortunately, though, that doesn’t seem to be true. Humans evolved eyesight capable of withstanding that sun’s indirect rays which are many times brighter than the light emitted from a TV. Therefore, conventional light from smartphones, tablets and computers shouldn’t cause any long-term damage. 

With that said, staring at a screen all day isn’t without its problems. There are all sorts of secondary effects that might have you booking appointments at your local eye doctor. 

Problems with Staring at a Screen Too Long

Even though light from our devices doesn’t appear to directly damage our eyes, it can make them itchy and uncomfortable. Researchers have a name for this: they call it “computer vision syndrome.” It might be something you’ve experienced in the past. If you spend ten hours of your day just staring at your computer screen, you’re liable to experience some sort of discomfort. 

For most people, the irritation starts small. Their eyes feel a little itchy, but walking away from the screen and then returning to it after fifteen minutes solves that problem. 

For others, though, computer eye syndrome may become chronic. Simply taking a break at lunch or in the evening may not be enough to stave it off. 

What are the Effects of Staring at a Screen for Too Long?

If you do wind up staring at a screen for too long, you can experience some nasty side-effects that go beyond dry or itchy eyes. For instance, some people get eye strain. This feels like a prolonged ache in the eyes. You may feel the urge to close them all the time. 

You might also get blurred vision. Sometimes this happens when the machinery of the eye is too stimulated by computer light, or the muscles surrounding the lens become exhausted and no longer function how they should. 

You can also get neck and shoulder pain. Some people experience this when trying to put their eyes in a more comfortable position. 

How to Stop Computer Vision Syndrome

Fortunately, there are several ways to stop computer vision syndrome. The simplest is to place your screen 12 to 18 inches away from your head. This way, you’re not too close to it. You can also wear blue-tinted glasses to filter out some of the harsher light your screen emits.