Digital Eye Strain During a Pandemic

Article: Computer screen time is damaging eyes — especially for children
Source: Washington Post, via AOA
Published: April 25, 2021

This article in the Washington Post  reports on recent worrisome trends of eye strain and eye damage due to increased computer screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect is most prevalent in young children, who are susceptible to developing progressive myopia that puts them at increased risk of sight-threatening conditions such as retinal tears and macular degeneration later in life. In addition to extensive near work in a virtual learning environment, aspects such as viewing angle and screen glare/reflections force our eyes to work harder than they usually do when reading a printed page, a professor of neural science and psychology at NYU explains. Computer vision syndrome, also known as digital eye strain, is another contributor to vision problems, including blurred vision and dry eyes. Digital eye strain was also reported to have increased around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that people can take steps to protect and heal their eyes. Taking frequent breaks from screen use, such as using the 20-20-20 rule of looking at least 20 feet in the distance for 20 seconds every 20 minutes spent on the screen, helps to mitigate eye strain. While taking into consideration precautions of distancing during the ongoing pandemic, the "bright and full-spectral light, rich spatial patterns across a wide range of scales, and sharp images of distant objects" of outdoor environments can help to reduce young children's risk of developing myopia.

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