Study: Nearly 70% of US adults experience digital eye strain

While companies are unveiling the latest digital technologies at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show, a new study shows that nearly 70% of adults in the U.S. experience digital eye strain.

The Vision Council released the study Thursday at CES and hosted a booth to educate attendees on computer eye wear technology and various ways to lessen digital eye strain.

The study, based on a sample of 7,160 American adults, also found that 28% of participants spend 10 or more hours in front of digital devices, an increase of 4% from last year. Additionally, 41% of adults have never tried – or do not know how – to reduce their digital eye strain.

"The world’s reliance on electronics has proven to be beneficial in many ways but poses a problem for the eyes,” the study reported. “Nearly 70% of U.S. adults experience digital eye strain as a result of the growing use of these devices. Adults 18 to 34 years old report feeling eye strain at a higher rate (45%) than their older counterparts.

"New research also suggests that overexposure to blue light, also referred to as high-energy visible or HEV light, may contribute to vision problems such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration,” the report continued. “Long-term implications are just now being studied, but the short-term impact of digital eye strain affects individuals on a daily basis."

The report also included recommendations from the Vision Council's medical advisory board on how to minimize digital eye strain, which included wearing computer glasses, taking breaks every 20 minutes and building an "eye-gonomic" workspace.