How Far Are We Seeing Beyond Our Screens?
Extended screen time is linked to the increase in rates of myopia, eye dryness and other vision issues. According to a 2022 Statistics Canada survey, Canadians are looking at their screens for about 3.2 hours a day.
According to WHO, 50% of people will have myopia by 2050 because of excessive screen use. Moreover, the more time spent looking at screens, the less time people spend blinking— a person’s blink rate goes down by 10% when they are using a phone. "The eyelids are little windshield wipers that have oil glands in them that basically smooth the oily tears, the moisturizing tears, over the eyeball,” Dr Vivian Hill, a Calgary-based pediatric ophthalmologist, explains. Blinking less could eventually lead to the development of meibomian gland atrophy (dry eye).
The risk of developing myopia and meibomian gland atrophy is higher for children than adults as their eyes are still maturing and are more sensitive. It is recommended that children between the ages of 5 and 17 years spend a maximum of 2 hours a day using screen time. Children below the age of 1 year should not have any screen time at all and this includes watching television.
Increased dependence on technology increased during the 2020 lockdown but it is important now that people unlearn the habits that they formed during that period. People should try to take breaks from using screens; they could indulge in other activities and even try to expose themselves to natural sunlight, even if only for a short time. Also, using lubricated drops could reduce damage to the eyes. People could also try following the 20/20/20 rule- after 20 minutes of using a screen, take 20 seconds to blink 20 times.
For more information, read the full article here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/excessive-screen-use-eyes-myopia-1.6815857
