Extended screen time is drying out teens' eyes

Embargoed until: Publicly released:
Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Observational study: A study in which the subject is observed to see if there is a relationship between two or more things (eg: the consumption of diet drinks and obesity). Observational studies cannot prove that one thing causes another, only that they are linked.

Survey: A study based solely on people’s responses to a series of questions.

People: This is a study based on research using people.

Youth who spend long hours on screens show signs of an eye condition typically seen among the elderly. More than 450 attendees of an Auckland gaming convention - with an average weekly screen time of over 43 hours - responded to a survey and had their blink rate monitored. The research showed an association between screen time and dry eye disease, driven by reduced blinking during screen use. This study raises concerns about an earlier onset of dry eye disease, and irreversible changes to the eye surface that can result.

Journal/conference: Contact Lens and Anterior Eye

Link to research (DOI): 10.1016/j.clae.2021.101541

Organisation/s: University of Auckland

Funder: N/A

Media release

From: University of Auckland

New Zealand youth who spend long hours on screens show signs of an eye condition typically seen among the elderly, University of Auckland research shows.

A study of more than 450 attendees of an Auckland gaming convention in 2019 revealed an average weekly screen time of over 43 hours, according to research just published in the journal Contact Lens and Anterior Eye.

Many of the participants were teenagers but showed clinical signs and symptoms of dry eye disease that would typically be seen in much older patients. This progressive and painful condition – sometimes described as like sandpaper on the eyes – negatively affects both vision and quality of life.

Participants filled out a survey about their screen use on an iPad, which also monitored their blinking. The research showed an association between screen time and dry eye, driven by reduced blinking during screen use.

“People may not want to hear this right now, when we’re all glued to our screens for work and school, but this may be yet more evidence of the toll from excessive screen time,” says Dr Alex Müntz, a research fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology.

These results are replicated in studies elsewhere, confirming doctors’ reports of seeing an increased number of young patients with the condition.

This study raises concerns about an earlier onset of dry eye disease, and irreversible changes to the eye surface that can result. The findings also add to the diverse long-term implications of increasing screen use on the health and wellbeing of youth.

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