Deep Dive · Health & Longevity
Eye health in the digital age
How modern lifestyles affect our eyesight
By Solveig Haw, Doctor and Medical Editor, ERGO Group AG
20 October 2026 · 10 min read
Smartphones, tablets and computer screens are an increasingly prominent part of our everyday lives, and this has an impact on our eyes. Whether at work or in our free time, our eyes are spending more and more time focusing at close range. However, current research suggests that screen use alone is not the decisive factor in maintaining eye health in the digital age. Rather, it is the combination of prolonged close-up work, exposure to daylight, age and lifestyle that matters.
- Screen work places functional strain on the eyes, but current evidence does not show that it causes permanent retinal damage.
- In children, the rising prevalence of myopia is associated with intensive near work and spending too little time outdoors.
- As populations age, age-related eye conditions such as presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are becoming more common.
- The effects of established lifestyle factors on eye health are supported by stronger evidence than many of the widely discussed digital risks.
Screen work and eye health: Strain rather than retinal damage
First, an important point of context: there is currently no convincing evidence that the normal use of smartphones, tablets and computers causes permanent damage to the human retina. This also applies to blue light, which is frequently the subject of debate. Under certain experimental conditions, short-wavelength light can cause photochemical damage. The determining factors are the wavelength, intensity and duration of exposure.
The amount of light reaching the retina during normal use of digital devices differs considerably from the conditions under which damage is produced in experiments. One review concluded that there is currently no evidence that normal exposure to LEDs and screens damages the human retina (PubMed, a free, searchable literature database from the US National Library of Medicine). This does not, however, rule out functional strain. The key issue is less about the light itself and more about the way we use our eyes, particularly when focusing at close range for extended periods.
Why near work contributes to digital eye strain
When we look at a computer monitor or smartphone, our eyes remain focused at a relatively short distance for an extended period. Accommodation, which refers to the lens changing shape to bring objects into focus, convergence, which aligns both eyes on a nearby target, the pupillary response and the eye muscles must all work together continuously. Tear film behaviour and blinking patterns also change. Blinking is particularly important. When concentrating on digital content, people blink less frequently and are more likely to close their eyelids only partially. This makes the tear film less stable. Studies have identified changes in tear volume, tear-film stability and osmolarity, meaning the concentration of salts in the tears, as well as other indicators of strain on the ocular surface (PubMed).
This helps to explain symptoms that many people experience after a long working day: dry, sore or red eyes, temporarily blurred vision and headaches. This group of symptoms is known as digital eye strain or computer vision syndrome and is a central aspect of eye health in the digital age. A systematic review covering ten studies and 2,365 participants found that symptoms were more common among people using screens for more than four to five hours a day and among those working under poor ergonomic conditions. The authors found no convincing evidence that blue-light filters reliably prevent digital eye strain (PubMed).
Screen work can place considerable strain on the eyes without causing permanent damage, according to current evidence.
How are screen time, daylight and myopia in children connected?
In children, however, there is evidence that today’s near-work environment may be associated with a lasting change in the eye: myopia, or short-sightedness. A large systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis published in 2025 analysed 45 studies involving a total of 335,524 participants. A meta-analysis statistically combines the results of multiple studies. For every additional hour of daily screen time, the likelihood of myopia in the populations studied was around 21 per cent higher. In the non-linear analysis, the association increased particularly noticeably between approximately one and four hours of screen use per day (PubMed). These findings demonstrate an association, but they do not prove that screens alone cause short-sightedness.
In children, screen time often reflects a broader pattern of behaviour: more time spent focusing at close range, less time outdoors, less exposure to daylight and potentially less physical activity.
More daylight rather than less screen time? What the studies suggest
A striking study on this subject was conducted in Guangzhou. Almost 2,000 six-year-old children were followed over a period of three years. Children in the intervention group took part in an additional 40 minutes of outdoor activity on every school day. After three years, 30.4 per cent of the children in the outdoor group had developed myopia, compared with 39.5 per cent in the control group. This represented an absolute difference of 9.1 percentage points (PubMed). The children did not have to stop using computers or smartphones altogether. They simply spent more time outdoors.
| Group | Children with myopia after three years |
|---|---|
| Outdoor group (intervention, an additional 40 min outdoors on every school day) | 30.4 perc ent |
| Control group | 39.5 per cent |
| Absolute difference | 9.1 percentage points |
Intervention study in Guangzhou, almost 2,000 six-year-old children, three years.
A further randomised school-based study, in which both the time spent outdoors and the intensity of light exposure were measured objectively, subsequently confirmed that additional time outdoors was associated with a lower incidence of myopia (PubMed).
This shifts the perspective. When it comes to the development of short-sightedness, the question “How long does a child spend looking at a screen?” may be less important than “How much time does the child spend outdoors each day?” Daylight appears to be a key factor in children’s eye health. Research therefore increasingly considers digital time in relation to sleep, physical activity, social interaction and time spent outdoors.
How ageing and lifestyle change the eyes
While the development of short-sightedness is a key concern among children, older people face a different set of changes. The world’s population is ageing, and so are its eyes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have a near- or distance-vision impairment. The vast majority of people with visual impairment are over the age of 50. Owing to population growth and demographic ageing, the number of people affected is expected to continue rising. The leading causes include uncorrected refractive errors, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and presbyopia, or age-related long-sightedness (WHO).
Presbyopia is one of the most predictable consequences of ageing. As we grow older, the lens becomes less flexible and can no longer change shape sufficiently when focusing on nearby objects. The eye therefore loses some of its accommodative ability.
A 25-year-old and a 60-year-old may experience similar symptoms after eight hours in front of a computer, but the underlying mechanisms are not identical. In older people, additional factors include reduced accommodative reserve, longer recovery times, changes in pupillary dynamics, increasing clouding of the lens and changes to the tear film. Meibomian gland dysfunction, which affects the oil-producing glands along the edge of the eyelids, and dry eye also become more common. Digitalisation and longer periods of screen work therefore affect a visual system that is already becoming more sensitive with age.
What the evidence says about physical activity and eye health
Screen time is not an isolated phenomenon. It forms part of a lifestyle that is often characterised by prolonged sitting, limited exposure to daylight, low levels of physical activity and lengthy, uninterrupted visual tasks.
A 2026 meta-analysis, which statistically combined the results of cohort studies following large groups over extended periods, included more than 1.9 million participants and examined the relationship between physical activity, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. People with high levels of physical activity had a relative risk of around 0.90 for cataracts compared with those with low levels of activity.
The association was considerably less clear for AMD. Although the pooled analysis produced a relative risk of 0.92, the evidence was deemed insufficient to support a robust conclusion regarding the prevention of AMD (PubMed). An earlier meta-analysis had found a stronger association between physical activity and AMD, including a reduced likelihood of late-stage AMD (PubMed). These differing results demonstrate how difficult it is to separate individual lifestyle factors. Physical activity, diet, blood pressure, metabolic health, smoking and social factors all influence one another.
| Eye condition | Relative risk | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Cataract | 0.90 | Around ten per cent lower risk. |
| Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) | 0.92 | Calculated at around eight per cent lower risk; the evidence is not sufficient for a robust conclusion on prevention. |
Meta-analysis of cohort studies (2026) with more than 1.9 million participants; high and low levels of physical activity were compared.
Established health risks also affect the eyes
When considering preventable risks to eye health, the discussion extends beyond smartphones to a long-established health risk: smoking. A large umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses examined 64 associations from 25 meta-analyses, along with a further 41 associations from ten systematic reviews. Of all the relationships involving age-related eye conditions that were examined, current smoking and cataracts was the only association for which the authors found convincing evidence at the highest level (PubMed).
Diet may also play a role in eye health, particularly in relation to retinal diseases. The nutrients and dietary factors studied include omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C and fish consumption. The umbrella review cited above found evidence, for example, of an association between fish consumption and a lower risk of AMD. Potential associations were also identified for lutein, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, although the strength of the evidence was lower (PubMed). These findings do not demonstrate that dietary supplements can reliably prevent AMD.
In the context of eye health, these findings put many debates about screens into perspective. The role of a traditional lifestyle factor such as smoking in damaging the eyes is considerably better established than most of the specific digital risks that are commonly claimed.
Digital eye strain: a multifactorial condition
The so-called 20-20-20 rule is frequently discussed and has been described in intervention studies and occupational health guidance as a possible way to alleviate digital eye strain. The principle is to look briefly into the distance every 20 minutes, interrupting continuous near focusing. The physiological rationale is plausible: shifting the gaze away from a nearby object allows the eye muscles to relax and blinking patterns to return to normal.
From a scientific perspective, it is important to distinguish between plausible advice and interventions supported by rigorous evidence. Recent reviews indicate that evidence for specific behavioural recommendations such as the 20-20-20 rule remains limited. Nor is there convincing evidence for the use of omega-3 supplements to treat dry eye (PubMed).
A recent review of 128 studies describes digital eye strain as a multifactorial condition. Contributing factors include less frequent or incomplete blinking, continuous near work, short viewing distances, small displays, poor posture, high cognitive demands, multitasking and uncorrected vision problems (PubMed).
In medical terms, the statement “I spent eight hours looking at a screen” means eight hours of working at a viewing distance of around 50 centimetres, with a reduced blink rate, uncomfortable posture and potentially inadequate correction for near vision. The screen is therefore not the sole cause, but the trigger for a complex set of demands on the visual system.
Three stages of life, three different challenges
Digitalisation affects the eyes differently at different stages of life:
Children are spending more time using digital devices, while myopia is becoming more common in many populations. The combination of intensive near work and limited time out-doors appears to be particularly relevant.
Adults spend longer working at close range and are more likely to experience dry eyes, an unstable tear film and visual fatigue. Digital eye strain and screen work are a defining part of their working lives.
The older population is growing and living longer. As a result, the number of people affected by presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration is also increas-ing. At the same time, many people are becoming less physically active and spending less time outdoors.
Across all age groups, the challenge is not to abolish screens. Instead, we need a new approach to healthy visual habits that considers near work, daylight, physical activity and ageing together. This reflects the realities of eye health in the digital age more accurately than narrowly technical debates about the light emitted by screens.
What the research on eye health in the digital age tells us
Based on current evidence, several relatively robust conclusions can be drawn:
- Screen work is primarily a source of functional strain. It has not been shown to act as a toxin that damages the retina.
- In children, the combination of extensive near work and limited time outdoors is particularly relevant to the development of myopia. Daylight and time outdoors appear to be more important than whether a child is looking at a book, tablet or smartphone.
- In adults, dry eyes, an unstable tear film and visual fatigue are the most common immediate consequences of intensive screen work.
- With advancing age, presbyopia and age-related eye conditions fundamentally change the situation.
- Smoking is far better established as a risk factor for certain eye conditions than most of the specific digital risks that are commonly claimed.
- Physical activity, good metabolic health, blood-pressure control and a balanced diet are likely to contribute to the prevention of eye disease, although the strength of the evidence varies for individual dietary components.
- According to current evidence, blue-light filters have neither been shown to protect against retinal damage nor been proven reliably effective in preventing digital eye strain (PubMed).
The key scientific question is not: “Are screens bad for our eyes?” It is: “How is digitalisation changing our overall visual way of life, and how does this interact with increasingly ageing eyes?”
Current evidence suggests that near work, regular breaks, daylight, physical activity and the management of established risk factors should be considered together. This overall picture describes eye health in the digital age far more accurately than the idea that the blue light from a smartphone alone is destroying our retinas.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Digital Eye Strain, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome, refers to a range of eye and vision problems caused by prolonged screen use and other close-up visual tasks. Typical symptoms include dry, irritated or red eyes, blurred vision and headaches.
Based on current evidence, not reliably. A systematic review found no convincing evidence that blue light-filtering lenses are effective in preventing or reducing Digital Eye Strain.
The rule involves taking a short break from close-up work every 20 minutes and looking at something further away. It is considered physiologically sound, as it allows the eye muscles to relax and helps restore a normal blink rate.
Presbyopia, or age-related long-sightedness, occurs when the lens of the eye becomes less flexible with age. As a result, it can no longer change shape sufficiently to focus on nearby objects.
Myopia, also known as short-sightedness, is a condition that causes distant objects to appear blurred. In children, it may be associated with prolonged close-up work and spending too little time outdoors.
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