New Delhi, Aug 19
According to a study, just one hour of scrolling social media reels on smartphones can cause eye fatigue.
The study published in the Journal of Eye Movement Research found that it is not just the time spent on digital devices but also the type of content being used that can cause the condition.
“Social media content causes greater pupil fluctuations than reading or watching a video,” said the researchers from SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
The team stated that “prolonged smartphone use, exceeding 20 minutes at a time, can lead to physical and mental health issues, including psychophysiological disorders”.
Digital devices and their extended exposure to blue light cause digital eyestrain, sleep disorders, and visual-related problems.
To examine the impact of 1 hour of smartphone usage on visual fatigue among young Indian adults, the researchers developed a portable, low-cost system that measured visual activity.
The system measured blink rate, inter-blink interval, and pupil diametre. Measured eye activity was recorded during 1 hour of smartphone usage of e-book reading, video watching, and social-media reels.