The Internet is now more or less a part of our daily lives and using our smartphones and tablets has become routine, especially this past year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can’t see our loved ones as often as we would like so we rely heavily on technology to keep us connected. But this dependence on electronics also comes with a risk to our health — particularly on our eyesight.
Staring at screens for long periods of time has always been bad for the eyes, but it’s even more so now that screen time has significantly increased. Research shows that there’s a clear correlation between more time spent online and the increase in cases of vision loss — the rates of vision loss increase with more screen time. Too much screen time can lead to Computer Vision Syndrome, a condition wherein the eyes are strained and fatigued from excessive exposure to blue light from digital screens.
Screen time mostly comes from spending time online, and a recent report on global digital trends has revealed which countries spend the most and least time online. According to the report, Japan spends the least time online compared to any other country, with its average screen time being 4 hours and 25 minutes. That might still seem like a lot of screen time, but if you’re going to compare it to a country like the Philippines — which has an average of 10 hours and 56 minutes of time spent online per day — it sounds like Japan’s average time online is actually low.
Alongside Japan, other countries that don’t spend much time online include Denmark (05:16), China (05:22), and Germany (05:26). Meanwhile, other countries that spend a lot of time online include South Africa (10:06), Colombia (10:07), and Brazil (10:08).
While Computer Vision Syndrome isn’t permanent, it’s still important to take good care of your eyes so as not to cause permanent damage. Even something as simple as taking regular breaks from screen time can be a great help, but if you want to be able to protect your eyes from blue light you can get blue light glasses, which can reduce digital eye strain.
The said research was commissioned by Feel Good Contacts, a popular online contact lens retailer in United Kingdom.
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