Square-eyed Brits spend three quarters of their waking hours glued to screens - with the average person spending twice as much time looking at gadgets than they do sleeping. The study analysed daily screen time stats alongside sleeping times data and quizzed 2,000 people about their gadget habits.
A whopping nine in ten Brits (92%) admit to looking at multiple screens at the same time, with almost half (48%) admitting to doing this multiple times throughout the day. Sheffield scoops the title of the UK’s screentime capital - with residents of the city most likely to have several screens on the go at any one time.
More than half of Sheffield residents (59%) said they often ‘multiscreen’ in this way. Hot on Sheffield's heels are Cardiff (54%) and Birmingham (53%) as the cities where people are most likely to multi-screen, according to the study from vision care experts Lenstore.
At the other end of the scale, Liverpudlians are the least likely to do so - but around a third of the city (32%) still report using several screens at once on a regular basis. While screens are integral to our daily lives, both for work and for social purposes, staring at screens for a prolonged period of time can pose health risks.
Brits spend an eye-watering 13 hours and two minutes looking at screens, including computers/tablets, phones, televisions and game console, every day. This means that each person in the UK spends an average of 16 days, 12 hours and 25 minutes each month staring at screens - racking up a total of 198 days every year.
When the daily screentime is averaged out across the population, each person in the UK spends four hours watching TV and three hours and 31 minutes looking at their phones. This is in addition to an hour and 48 minutes on social media (across all devices) and one hour and two minutes on games consoles.
TikTok proves to be the biggest attraction to Brits, with people spending an average of 27 hours and 18 hours a month on the video streaming app. This is in contrast to average sleep times that show bleary-eyed Brits get just six hours and 35 minutes sleep per night.
This means the country spends almost double the amount of time on screens than they do sleeping. Of those quizzed, 18-24-year-olds clock up the most time looking at screens each day, spending a whopping 77% of their waking hours with their eyes glued to a screen.
Older Brits, aged 50-64-year-old, spend the least number of their waking hours looking at screens, but this still makes up 74% of their day. The research indicates that screens fill up three-quarters of the country’s waking hours, and the survey data implies this is taking its toll on the nation’s eyes.
More than three quarters of Brits claim to have suffered headaches from staring at a screen, while the majority have also felt eye strain from looking at screens for too long (83%). Contact Lens Optician and Professional Services Clinical Lead at Lenstore, Sujata Paul, said: "Our research has shown the country spends the majority of the day staring at one kind of screen or another.
"But there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact this can have on your eyes and overall health. "Turning down the brightness of screens, utilising dark or grey mode functions and stopping using screens at least one to two hours before bed can help ensure your eyes and body are getting the sufficient rest required.
"The sleep hormone melatonin works with your internal body clock to help prepare you for sleep. "Blue light from smartphones, laptops and TVs can delay the release of the melatonin, which in turn, can confuse the body.
"For this reason, it’s a good idea to avoid using your digital devices at least an hour before bed. “Too much screen time can have an impact on our eyes throughout the day.
"The reduced amount of blinking can cause our eyes to dry out and become tired quicker. "It's best to take regular breaks to look at things that are further away - a great approach is the 20-20-20 rule.
“Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet or more away. "Small changes like this, as well as ensuring your sitting position is comfortable and not too close to your screen, can really make a difference to your eye health."
For more information, please visit: https://www.lenstore.co.uk/
TOP 10 CITIES MOST LIKELY TO USE MULTIPLE SCREENS AT ONCE:
1. Sheffield (59%)
2. Cardiff (54%)
3. Birmingham (53%
4. London (52%)
5. Southampton (51%)
6. Leeds (50%)
7. Norwich (47%)
8. Manchester (47%)
9. Newcastle (46%)
10. Bristol (45%)
