The pandemic is having an impact on people’s eyes. With shifts to working from home and virtual learning, there’s little doubt that people’s screen time has gone up significantly.

President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Optometrists, Dr. Sarah Hutchens says they’ve seen a lot of people experiencing eye strain as a result.

She says the eye was not designed to look at screens up close for extended periods of time.

Another thing optometrists are seeing, is people coming in complaining of dry eyes. That’s because most people don’t blink as much while looking at screens.