How Screen Time May Be Contributing To Dry Eyes During the Pandemic


The wave of “staying fit” has engulfed the whole world, isn’t it? And there’s always a question of whether or not we are considering the health of every organ in our body to fit into living healthy and staying fit category. If you haven’t got the hint yet, we’re giving you another one. We are blessed with senses in our body, which is one of the most important senses in our body? If you are thinking about vision or eyes, you’ve got it right alright! We make use of our eyes right from the time we wake up till the time shut them up and sleep in the night.  Therefore, we cannot deny the role that our eyes have got to play in our everyday lives. But, a majority of us are guilty of not taking care of them. Eye health is considered to be one of the most neglected health aspects of overall physical health according to doctors.
To make this negligence worse, the way we use screens every day in most activities of our life has affected our eyes most than any other organ of the body. Yes, we live in an era of smart devices and computers where even the smallest of the tasks has been made impossible without the use of technology. And our usage of devices like computers, televisions, laptops, e-readers, cell phones has literally increased in an exponential form at least in the past decade. This has resulted in letting our children be exposed to gadgets and screens at an age that is earlier than permitted. You wouldn’t believe what statistics tell you—among children under the age of 2, the electronic device usage has increased from 10% in 2011 to 38% in 2013. And if you look at stats of the same regarding children aged 8 years and below, in the year 2013, 72% of the children are into screens and gadgets which was only 38% in the year 2011. And in this wake of a situation like the pandemic where the novel coronavirus has struck every normal activity of our lives, the screen time is on a peak like never before. And why wouldn’t it? Everybody is working from home and if you have small kids at home, many just switch on the television put a cartoon on, and leave their kids there so that they wouldn’t be disturbed while working. And if you have school going kids or grown-ups—they are having their school online. Everybody is looking at the laptop or desk computers and having the experience of a virtual classroom through the screens. And adults, well, all the Netflix and chill which was reserved only for the weekend has now become an everyday routine. This pandemic has only multiplied screen time hours and made it worse for us. Everybody’s eyes of all ages have taken a hit, but the pediatric eye is the one that is susceptible to more damage as it’s still in the years of development and if indulged in excessive screen time, the results whether permanent or temporary can be dangerous to the eyes. And the problem of “Dry Eye” is very common here. Let’s understand more about this dry eye problem which has become a common term these days.

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