Your Mom was right.... 👩

TLDR: Your mom was right - staring at a screen is really unhealthy. I summarized a lot of medical studies for you and will tell you what you can do about it. Currently, I work on an app combining science & AI that prevents most of the bad health effects of computer usage https://pupillary.org (more on this & "special indie support" below 👇)

We all remember the time when our parents regularly told us not to spend so much time in front of screens. And although we didn't want to believe it (our favorite series was just too good 😏), they were right. Here are a few studies on the subject:

A team of scientists looked at childrens TV usage and the effect on the eye. And let me quote them directly: " [...] screen time has a potential adverse influence on retinal microvascular structure. The magnitude of arteriolar narrowing associated with each hour daily of TV viewing is similar to that associated with a 10-mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure in children." (Bamini Gopinath et al, 2011)
Another study took a look at primary school children: "„One-quarter of the students studied experienced physical complaints, and one-fifth had behavioural problems associated with the use of electronic devices“ (S L Ting et al, 2020)
When looking at middle school children. That doesn't get better: "longer screen time (≥2 h/day) was associated with lower levels of satisfaction with life and optimism, and higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms; shorter screen time (<2 h/day) was associated with favorable mental health and wellbeing" (Eva Oberle et al, 2020)
What about adults? Here's a study looking at what happened to your eyes during the 2020 lockdown: "95.8% of respondents had experienced at least one symptom related to digital device usage," (Fayiqa Ahamed Bahkir et al, 2020). (other studies showed similar numbers ranging from 64-90%)
Other eye symptoms are burning/painful eyes(46.8%), foreign body sensation (44%), dry eyes (51.5%), red swollen eyes (43% - 51%), eyelid spasm (32.9%) and light sensitivity (41.8%).
A study found that these eye symptoms are linked with a 50% increase in poor sleep quality, Headache (66.5%), and other symptoms.
I think one study puts it best: "Patients with Computer vision syndrome present to a variety of different specialists, including General Practitioners, Neurologists, Stroke physicians, and Ophthalmologists. While the condition is common, there is a poor awareness in the public and among health professionals.“ (Sunil Munshi et al, 2017)

Okay. You got it. But what can you do about it? Here's nearly everything those studies suggest in a short list for you:

Provide balance for your eyes (going outside in the middle of the day or when the sun is shining )
Reduce stress & eat healthy (yes this actually has an influence and not only on your eyes)
There're vitamins that have a positive effect on your tear film (but don't overuse them)
Take breaks (look into the distance for a short time every 20 minutes)
Do eye exercises (you find those online, but TLDR: just blink enough and regularly)
Wear glasses (if you need them)
Do not set the screen too high (the screen shout be on eye level, not higher)
use eye drops if it does not work at all (but talk with a physician or someone who knows their stuff beforehand)
I (and other experts) worked on a desktop app that combines science & AI to solve this problem. ( https://pupillary.org ) It helped me preserve my health, productivity, and happiness during these crazy stay at home times. But this is not a "you have to buy this or you will die" thread. You'll be fine if you follow the other things I mentioned.

Feedback on pupillary is greatly appreciated. The app has a 3-day free trial. Please write me an email (pupillary.app[at]gmail.com) if you need more time or have any problems (would love to help you out or give away discounts/subscriptions for indie hackers in need 😊)