We often spend long hours in front of a computer, smartphone or tablet when we're working. This overexposure puts significant pressure on our eyes and can have far-reaching consequences. We sometimes forget it, but the eye is a muscle which, by dint of being overworked, ends up being fatigued, impacting our daily well-being.
To better understand the scale of the phenomenon, VSP Vision Care, an insurance company specializing in vision health, teamed up with Workplace Intelligence to survey 800 HR managers and 800 full-time employees in the US.
The survey revealed that workers spend an average of 97 hours a week in front of a screen, including 34.2 hours on a computer. This figure is slightly higher than the 96.1 hours recorded in 2024, but still represents more than four full 24-hour days a week, or 210 days a year.
Prolonged exposure to screens, combined with artificial lighting, is one of the main causes of visual fatigue, to the point that today we talk about "digital fatigue”. According to the survey, 68% of workers suffer from it. Among them, 17% feel this discomfort 4 to 5 days a week, and 10% are confronted with it almost daily, ie, 6 to 7 days a week.
This eye strain manifests itself in various symptoms: dry and irritated eyes, blurred vision, headaches, sometimes accompanied by back pain. Nearly 63% of employees report suffering from at least one of these symptoms, compared to 50% last year, an increase of 26%.
There is also an increase in the number of glasses and contact lenses wearers. Seventy-three percent of employees now wear them, compared with 67% last year. However, such lenses also are associated with an increase in issues: contact lens wearers are 12 times more likely to suffer from dry eyes than those with normal vision, while this problem affects eyeglass wearers twice as much.
Screen-related visual disorders are not limited to physical discomfort. They also affect mental health and quality of life. More than 56% of workers feel that their well-being is affected, with consequences such as stress, anxiety and even depression. In some cases, this fatigue even leads to a loss of independence in terms of travel and personal care, thus increasing the risk of social isolation.
Lack of awareness within companies
In terms of professional performance, nearly six out of ten employees say that digital fatigue reduces their productivity and efficiency. About 50% say it impacts their general well-being, preventing them from enjoying their leisure time after work and making them more irritable at the office. Even more alarmingly, 27% of employees have already taken time off work because of this fatigue.
Despite such serious consequences, 45% of employees believe that their employer does not care about the impact of digital eye strain. However, 70% of workers recognize that they should manage their screen exposure better, and 59% believe that their company should provide more support.
Contrary to this perception, HR managers are nevertheless aware of the problem. Eighty-seven percent of them recognize that employees working on a screen suffer from digital fatigue, and 96% believe that this affects their productivity. In addition, 89% admit that their organization should implement more initiatives to help employees.
However, to date, fewer than six out of ten companies have introduced concrete measures, such as encouraging breaks or providing anti-glare filters for screens.
So, how can you protect your eyes and relieve work-related eye strain? Experts recommend applying the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a break for 20 seconds by looking at an object at least 6 meters (20 feet) away. Other solutions exist, such as yoga for the eyes, an eye exercise aimed at strengthening the eye muscles and improving their endurance.
Given the omnipresence of screens in our professional lives, digital eye strain has become a real public health issue. However, it is still largely underestimated in companies. While workers must adopt better habits to preserve their vision, it is also essential that employers take concrete measures to limit the effects of this overexposure.
Awareness, regular breaks, ergonomic adjustments and suitable solutions must become reflexes to guarantee the well-being and productivity of employees in the long term. By integrating these good practices, everyone will be able to better preserve their visual health without sacrificing their efficiency at work. – AFP Relaxnews
