Academic performance unaffected by dry eye symptoms in young adults

Prolonged screen time is significantly associated with worsening dry eye disease (DED) symptoms in young adults, but these symptoms do not appear to affect academic performance, according to a study.

Researchers analyzed data from 445 participants aged 21-30, evaluating their Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores, screen usage, contact lens wear, and compliance with the 20-20-20 rule.

Overall, 99.3% of participants met the criteria for DDE. The average daily screen time was 9.84 hours, with 6.93 hours dedicated to studying and 2.97 hours to social media. The researchers noted that OSDI scores showed a significant correlation with screen exposure for both academic (P = 0.01) and social media purposes (P = 0.01), but not with GPA or contact lens wear.

Reference
Luo CK, Tan QQ, Tea Y, et al. The prevalence of dry eye disease symptoms and its association with screen time in young adults aged 21-30 years. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2025;doi: 10.1111/opo.13505. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40186443.