From Screens to Lifestyle Habits: How Eye Problems Are Rising Across Generations

Eye problems such as strain, dryness, nearsightedness and other visual disturbances are no longer limited to those in middle age or the elderly. In recent years, healthcare professionals have observed a significant rise in eye concerns among younger people, including teenagers and adults in their twenties and thirties. This trend is being driven by a combination of lifestyle changes, technological habits and environmental factors that place new demands on our visual system.

One of the biggest contributors to this shift is the increasing amount of time spent looking at screens. Smartphones, tablets, laptops and televisions have become integral to daily life, and prolonged exposure to digital devices is strongly linked to digital eye strain , a cluster of symptoms that includes blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes and discomfort. Even short durations of screen use, if repeated over many hours, can strain the eye’s focusing muscles and reduce blinking, which normally helps keep the eyes moist.

Alongside general eye strain, myopia (nearsightedness) is now emerging much earlier in life than in previous generations. Epidemiological data show that the prevalence of myopia has surged among children and young adults in urban settings, with projections suggesting that nearly half the world’s population could be myopic by 2050. This increase is linked to excessive near-work activities like reading and screen use, combined with a decline in time spent outdoors. Natural outdoor light exposure plays a key role in healthy eye development, helping to regulate eye growth and reduce the progression of refractive errors.