For many Americans, screen time begins before the workday and continues long after it ends. A 2026 survey found that 64% of U.S. adults estimate spending at least five hours a day looking at screens. One in 10 reported more than 12 hours.
The hours can leave eyes burning, watering, or struggling to focus. But does all that scrolling cause permanent harm?
Updated guidance published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology distinguishes temporary digital eye discomfort from proven eye disease, while other research raises separate concerns about childhood nearsightedness and persistent dry eye.
How Many Hours Are Americans Looking At Screens?
The YouGov survey found that 76% of Americans at least sometimes use another device while watching a movie or television at home. It also found that 10% estimate more than 12 hours of daily screen exposure. These figures are self-reported.
Federal figures offer a different view. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that people ages 15 and older averaged 2.6 hours of television viewing daily in 2025, plus 37 minutes playing games or using computers for leisure. Those leisure categories do not measure all smartphone activity or work-related screen use, so they should not be treated as total screen time.
The growing interest in reducing screen exposure has also appeared in consumer technology. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, renewed interest in standalone music players has been linked to a desire for entertainment without constant notifications and screens.
Which Jobs Put The Greatest Demands On Our Eyes?
Not every occupation places the same demands on workers’ vision.
A November 2026 workplace study provided to The Dallas Express, conducted by eyewear company Overnight Glasses, examined 65 occupations involving computers or digital technology, ranking them according to 10 measures, including computer-related tasks, near-vision demands, sitting time, and outdoor exposure.
Occupational therapists ranked first in the company’s eye-friendliness index, with computer-related tasks accounting for 11.8% of the occupation’s assessed tasks. Library technicians ranked second, followed by interpreters and translators.
The company reported that general office clerks spent 85.3% of their work time sitting, compared with 27.3% for occupational therapists.
However, these figures do not establish that one profession produces fewer eye problems than another. The study evaluated occupational characteristics rather than conducting medical examinations or measuring eye disease among workers.
The academy also notes that lengthy periods of driving, reading, and other close-up tasks can cause similar discomfort, meaning screen exposure is not the only workplace concern.
Why Do Screens Make Eyes Burn Or Blur?
Blinking helps spread tears across the eye. People normally blink about 15 times per minute, but that can fall to five to seven times a minute while using digital devices, according to the academy’s eye-strain guidance.
Less blinking can allow tears to evaporate more quickly, causing dryness, irritation, watering, and fluctuating vision. Long stretches of close-up concentration can also lead to headaches and eye fatigue. Reading or sewing for extended periods can cause similar symptoms, the academy notes.
The National Eye Institute identifies extended screen viewing as one contributor to dry eye, along with factors including age, certain medications, and dry environments. Severe dry eye that goes untreated can sometimes damage the cornea, the institute warns.
Does Screen Time Permanently Damage Vision?
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says routine computer and smartphone use has not been shown to permanently damage the retina. That does not mean every eye problem experienced during screen use should be ignored.
Research points to a different concern for children. A February 2025 analysis published in JAMA Network Open pooled 45 studies involving 335,524 participants, whose average age was approximately nine. Each additional hour of daily digital screen exposure was associated with 21% higher odds of myopia, or nearsightedness.
The finding describes an association, not proof that screens alone cause myopia.
What About Blue-Light Glasses?
Special glasses that filter blue light are often marketed to computer users. But the academy’s October 23 update states that the light emitted by ordinary screens has not been shown to damage human retinas or cause age-related macular degeneration. It does not recommend buying blue-light glasses to prevent eye disease or ordinary digital eye discomfort.
Light exposure late in the evening can still disrupt sleep by interfering with the body’s normal sleep-wake cycle. The academy suggests reducing screen use one to two hours before bedtime or using dimmer, warmer display settings.
Small Changes That Could Make A Difference
For people whose jobs require long hours at a computer, the academy recommends taking regular breaks, consciously blinking, positioning the screen about an arm’s length away, and reducing glare.
Its recommendations also include adjusting brightness to match the room and using artificial tears for dryness when appropriate.
The commonly recommended 20-20-20 habit is simple: About every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. A break may not eliminate every symptom, but it interrupts sustained near-focus work.
Persistent dryness, pain, light sensitivity, or blurred vision warrants evaluation rather than assuming a screen is the only cause. Sudden vision loss or a sudden major change in vision requires urgent medical assessment.
For readers who spend the day moving from a work monitor to a phone and then to a television, a practical question remains: How often do our eyes get a break from close-up focus?
