Glued to your screens? Here’s how you can protect your eyes

With many people staying at home due to coronavirus-related restrictions, we have become so tethered to our screens for work, to connect with friends, to fellowship with our religious groups, for online lessons and entertainment.

In this digital age, more of us are becoming increasingly attached to our smartphones and gadgets, but the COVID-19 pandemic has increased media consumption by 60 per cent, which has been attributed to home confinement during March 2020.

Even though these gadgets may help make our daily lives easier, several studies indicate that too much screen time and social media can negatively impact mental and physical health, including sleep and social interaction.

A new report by eyesafe estimates that adults are spending more than 13 hours a day using screens, a spike up from 10 hours a day a year ago. It says this shift in screen time is resulting in increased high-energy blue light exposure.

Prolonged use of screen, according to experts, can lead to blurred vision, eye fatigue, irritated eyes and headaches. Yet with our new routines likely to have a lot more screen time, it’s important to learn how to protect our eyes from suffering as a result.