One of the unfortunate side-effects of the increased hours we’ve been spending indoors for more than a year now is increased screen time. A March 2021 study found a 76 per cent increase in screen time during the pandemic, with most of this additional time being spent on recreational usage. This, experts say, can affect your health in several ways, from causing eye fatigue and dryness to impacting your sleep cycles. On their Archewell website, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Prince Harry and Meghan Markle) are advising visitors to take screen breaks every 20 minutes, with an automated reminder popping up at regular intervals.

Change it up

“While it can be difficult to cut down on your work-related screen time, what you can change is the amount of time you dedicate to recreational activities that involve your phone, laptop or television screens. It’s also advisable to use a larger screen [a television screen or laptop] as opposed to a mobile phone to reduce the strain on your eyes. This is especially helpful for children who are taking classes online,” explains Dr Hasanain Shikari, an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon at Masina Hospital. He also points out that while exposure to a digital screen for extended hours does not necessarily induce myopia or hypermetropia, it can bring to the fore refractive errors that already exist but were hitherto unnoticed. To address these, he recommends get a routine eye check-up every six months.