More than 1 in 3 people recently contacted say they fear deteriorating eyesight due to increasing screen time as a result of pandemic-related #WFH (working from home).
The data comes from new research from Fight for Sight, a UK charity dedicated to preventing sight loss and which points out that someone in the world “goes blind every five seconds”. In its probe, the charity claims half (50%) of students and more than four in 10 (42%) working British adults believe an increase in screen time during the Covid-19 pandemic has negatively affected their sight.
It also found that 38% of the 2000 people it had YouGov contact on its behalf, who have been using screens more during lockdown, believe their eyesight has been affected as a result–leading to difficulty reading, migraines and poorer night vision: 39% say they have difficulty reading as a result, 23% report having had headaches/migraines and 17% believe they have poorer night vision out of all this extra computer interaction.
How dramatic has that increase in screen time been? Almost half (49%) of respondents say they are online more since the pandemic began, with a third (33%) of these saying it has increased by more than two hours. And as a BBC expansion of the story notes, this is far from the only voice raising concerns over Lockdown working: The College of Optometrists has found similar issues, having conducted its own research that suggested just under a quarter of people noticed their vision deteriorate during the first few months of increased remote working.
The charity does stress there are practical solutions: its chief executive, Sherine Krause, advises that, “More than half of all cases of sight loss are avoidable through early detection and prevention methods [while] regular eye tests can often detect symptomless sight-threatening conditions.”
It also recommends what it calls the ‘20-20-20 rule to help prevent eye strain’–so, for every 20 minutes spent using a screen, you should try to look away at something that is 20 feet away from you for a total of 20 seconds.
The BBC also states that any problems may not be permanent–but that people do need to keep their eye test appointments and optician visits going.
UKAAF echoes this advice, and asks members to share this advice to colleagues and family members to help avoid needless eye problems wherever possible.
Carina Birt
UKAAF Head of Public Relations and Board Member
