Average adult will spend life in digital overload of three decades: Study

An average adult will spend 34 years of their life staring at their digital devices according to a recent study conducted in United Kingdom.

The research, a poll of 2,000 British adults whose age varied between 18 to 81 years old.The study was commissioned by Vision Direct and conducted by OnePoll.

Scientists found that over half of the respondents admitted their screen time strained their eyes.

Despite the strain, four out of 10 people say they rarely stop to rest their vision. Another 12 percent of the survey said they never take a break.

''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,'' said Benjamin Dumaine, of Vision Direct.

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

The poll adds that adults are glued to their devices from the minute they wake up. The average adult starts looking at a screen within 20 minutes of getting out of bed. Almost a third of the respondents switch on a device within five minutes.

Researchers found out that in future, individuals will be glued to their screens for over 13 hours a day.

That adds up to 4,866 hours each year and a stunning 301,733 hours throughout those 62 adult years.

These figures have seen a big spike during the coronavirus pandemic, with the poll finding that video calls have doubled during the quarantine.

''We’re lucky to have devices that connect us with the outside world,'' Dumaine said.

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

Vision Direct recommended that people should use the ''20-20-20 Rule'' when looking at their screens.

According to the rule, evry individual should take a break every 20 minutes, look away for 20 seconds, and turn their attention to something at least 20 feet away.