Average adult spends 34 years of their life looking at screens, research claims

How long do you spend each day looking at a screen?

Perhaps seven hours or so for work then maybe a couple more at the end of the day watching TV. And then all the times you check your phone in between times.

In news that may not shock anyone, research has suggested the average adult will spend 34 years of their life doing nothing better than staring at screens.

The numbers come from a poll of 2,000 adults conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Vision Direct.

They found that between the typical adult lifespan of 18 to 81 years, Brits will clock up 4,866 hours every year staring into a glass rectangle. That’s just over 13 hours a day – which takes some doing but if you’re an office worker or just really, really into Netflix, it can be achieved.

Over half of respondents admitted all that screen time strained their eyes and apparently 12% never stop to take a break and rest their eyes. Luckily, the survey was commissioned by an eyecare and contact lens company, so they’ve got something to say on the matter.

‘We’re lucky to have devices that connect us with the outside world,’ Benjamin Dumaine, of Vision Direct, said in a statement.

‘A similar pandemic taking place 30 or 40 years ago would have seen people coping with the lack of contact in very different ways.’

Delving into the research, it seems that staring at PCs and laptops has overtaken TVs when it comes to screen time. According to the respondents, phone screens make up third place. The average adult spends two hours and 25 minutes a day staring at their phone.

Interestingly, the poll found that average adults look at a screen within 20 minutes of waking up in the morning. Proof enough that we’re all far too addicted to our gadgets.

Dumaine continued: ‘It’s important to be aware of what excess screen time can do in terms of your eye health and keep on top of overdoing it when it comes to screens.’

‘We’d suggest making the most of the government’s advice to exercise, to help give that essential screen break.’

Since you’re reading this on a screen, it might be an idea to stop right now and go and look out of a window or take a walk or something.

Vision Direct suggests we use the ’20-20-20 Rule’ when looking at their screens. The rule says you take a break every 20 minutes, look away for 20 seconds, and turn your attention to something at least 20 feet away.

Source: Read Full Article