Are Instagram reels silently harming your eyes?

Do you often lose track of time while scrolling reels on your phone? A new study warns that just one hour of such activity can cause significant eye fatigue.

The research, published in the Journal of Eye Movement Research, highlights that it is not only the length of screen time but also the type of content consumed that can impact eye health.

Why are social media reels more straining?

According to the researchers from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, “social media content causes greater pupil fluctuations than reading or watching a video.”

The study explained that reels, with their fast-paced visuals and changing brightness, put more strain on the eyes than static reading or even continuous video watching.

“Social media reels show increased screen variations, affecting pupil dilation and reducing blink rate due to continuous screen brightness and intensity changes. This reduction in blink rate and increase in inter-blink interval or pupil dilation could lead to visual fatigue,” the team stated.

How was the study conducted?

To examine the effect of smartphone use, the researchers designed a portable, low-cost system to track visual activity. The system measured blink rate, inter-blink interval, and pupil diameter as participants spent one hour on different tasks – e-book reading, video watching, and scrolling social media reels.

What health problems can it trigger?

The researchers warned that “prolonged smartphone use, exceeding 20 minutes at a time, can lead to physical and mental health issues, including psychophysiological disorders.”

Digital devices, especially due to extended blue light exposure, are linked to digital eye strain, sleep disturbances, and other visual problems.

In this study, 60 percent of participants reported mild to severe discomfort after long hours on their phones, including eyestrain, neck pain, and hand fatigue.

Furthermore, 83 percent admitted experiencing psychophysiological issues such as anxiety, disturbed sleep, or mental exhaustion.

Are there ways to reduce the strain?

The findings also showed that some young adults are already taking precautions. About 40 percent of participants said they use protective measures like blue light filters or dark mode settings to reduce the impact of screen exposure.