Watching too many reels? Ophthalmologist warns how short-form videos can harm your eyes: ‘Causes dryness, irritation…’

Are reels making your eyes tired? Know from an expert how you can alleviate eye fatigue.

Short form content, whether it is Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, is becoming the go-to format and one of the dominant forms of digital content today. This format has become so widespread and widely accpeted that much of online content is now compressed into vertical, bite-sized videos and circulated as reels or shorts, from movie clips to celeb interviews.

Viewing short form content online has changed the way eyes function. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Part of the appeal lies in how convenient and easy-to consume these videos are. They are short, easily digestible, scrollable and designed for quick viewing. Most importantly, users do not have to rotate their screens for landscape videos, commit to a long video or spend much mental effort thinking what to watch next. But while this fast-paced format may feel effortless, excessive consumption may affect your health, including eye health.

Dr Minal Kanhere, consultant cornea, cataract and refractive Surgeon at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital, Mumbai, weighed in with expert insights and agreed that short-form videos are changing the way eyes function.

What too much short-form content does to your eye health?

The eye surgeon observed that watching a lot of content on smartphones, which have smaller screens, can affect the eyes' ability to focus properly and lead to digital eye strain and fatigue.

“Staring at a bright screen, often kept very close to the face, may be associated with a reduced blinking rate. This causes dryness, irritation, burning sensation, blurred vision and headaches,” Dr Kanhere said. The other side effects include poor posture, shoulder pain, with risks of myopia progression.

It is worth noting that the fatigue is not limited to the eyes. Fast-paced content can lead to mental fatigue and affect concentration. Dr Kanhere believed one is at risk of ‘sensory overload,' caused by bright colours, hyperrealistic images, AI-generated videos, exaggerated motion and sound effects. “Brain is exhausted, leading to loss of focus, shortened attention span, restlessness and easy distractibility,” the surgeon raised concern.

Short-form content exposes your eyes to quick-moving visual stimuli, rapid cuts, sudden motion, text overlays, and transitions, all of which force your eyes to adjust constantly. This can worsen fatigue and later make it harder for your eyes and brain to focus on slower activities such as reading or studying. You will be ‘visually more impatient.’ This means large blocks of texts may feel tiring and boring.

How to reduce eye strain and build visual patience?

You can try listening to podcast instead of watching the visual content all the time. (Picture credit: Pexels)

The doctor recommended trying 20-20-20 rule which requires you to take screen breaks of 20 seconds, every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away. Along with this, maintain a good posture, blink frequently, and avoid using screens one hour before bedtime. And if possible, listen to content, like podcast, instead of watching it.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.