Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic large proportions of workers have had to work from home.
Similarly, students also moved to at-home learning based around online class sessions.
Because of this, some optometrists have voiced their concerns surrounding the amount of screen-time people are participating in each day and the potentially damaging effect it is having on people's eyesight.
Peter Fairbanks of Fairbanks Eye Gallery in Ballarat, Victoria, said this extended time in front of screens could be contributing to a number of eye issues.
"When we look at a computer screen we blink less which can lead to dry eyes," he said.
"We might blink up to seven times a minute while looking at a screen compared to blinking up to 22 times a minute if you were sitting in a room with a friend.
"Another aspect to consider is the amount of blue light our eyes are getting through the use of screens. If some people are using screens for an extended period before sleeping, it can switch off the melatonin secretion in the pineal gland, which then tells their brain that it's day time and hurts their ability to sleep.
"Many people are staring at our screens for up to two or three hours at a time... That puts quite a demand on our binocular vision system. It may present challenges and obstacles over a long period of time."
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Moving forward, he encouraged people working and studying from home to get their eyes checked to hopefully remedy any issues that may be developing because of extended screen-time.
"With more people working from home and more students forced into at-home studying, it's more pertinent that people get an eye test than ever.
"Sometimes, excessive close work on screens could lean to people becoming short sighted, developing astigmatism which would mean they need glasses or developing an issue with converging... something's got to give at some point."
