In the 21st century most newly created words find their roots in technology. iPads, iPods, wifi, smart phone: our world now revolves around electronic gadgets and the data they give us. However, Radcliffe optician Lesley Cree warns of the damaging affects our ever increasing obsession with technology will have on the eyesight and relationships of future generations.
Technomania is a new word: it is an obsession with technology and independent opticians warn that it’s an obsession that is putting our eyes, and our personal relationships, at risk.
Research released today has found that three quarters of 16-34 year olds in Nottingham exhibited technomaniac tendencies and admitted to looking at their smart phones or tablet devices before going to sleep.
The study commissioned by Sight Care, the UK support network for independent opticians, has uncovered that 77 per cent of our waking day is spent looking at one form of screen or another, processing data from emails, news information, videos and games.
More than a third of people surveyed confessed to checking their phone or tablet within 10 minutes of waking up, with women being seen as the worst repeat offenders. Female data addicts are reported to check their mobile phone within five minutes of opening their eyes. Lesley Cree, owner of Lesley Cree Opticians in Radcliffe on Trent said: “As each new technological device that enters the market becomes the must have accessory, everyday lives are being spent moving from one gadget to another, putting constant strain on the eyes.”
It isn’t just eye health that needs to be taken into consideration but also the wider impact on relationships.
Bev Cook from Radcliffe on Trent is a self-confessed technomaniac, after having to master technology for her job as a marketing consultant. With a full array of gadgets including an iPhone, iPad, Macbook air, and apple TV, the 49 year old admits that family often find it irritating at times. Bev said: “Being in marketing means I am always on my laptop, working or checking social media on behalf of clients. I do try to reduce the amount of hours I spend staring at a screen, be it my phone or computer, but usually I find that it means that I physically have to step away from the technology or go away abroad where there will be no wifi!
The research also found that more than 79 per cent of people said their eyes were sore as a result of looking at a screen. However, despite this claim a quarter of people across the UK spend more than 13 hours during the waking day with their eyes fixed to a screen.
Bev added: “I have been wearing glasses now for six years and each time I have my eyes tested they get worse! I have regular eye examinations to ensure that I have the correct prescription, and this also means I have to be honest with my Optometrist about my use of modern technology.”