| Abstract: |
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), also known as Digital Eye Strain, has emerged as a major public health concern in higher-education settings, where prolonged use of computers, smartphones, tablets, and digital learning platforms has become an integral part of daily academic routines. This paper investigates the association between prolonged digital device use and the development of CVS among university students, drawing on contemporary global and Indian evidence published up to 2025. The objectives are to assess the prevalence of CVS-related symptoms among university students and to evaluate the relationship between daily screen-exposure duration, ergonomic practices, and symptom severity. Adopting a descriptive secondary research design supported by a systematic synthesis of recent peer-reviewed studies, the paper consolidates data from optometric, ophthalmic, and public-health sources including the American Optometric Association (AOA), All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), and World Health Organization (WHO). Findings indicate that the global pooled prevalence of CVS among university students has reached 70.6%, with Indian student populations reporting symptom rates between 78% and 94.2%. Daily screen exposure exceeding 6 hours is consistently associated with a 2.5–4-fold increase in symptom severity. Dry eye, headache, blurred vision, and neck-shoulder pain emerge as the four dominant complaints. The discussion underscores the need for structured digital-hygiene education, mandatory 20-20-20 break protocols, ergonomic workstation reform, and routine optometric screening within universities. The paper concludes that prolonged digital device use is a strong, independent, and modifiable risk factor for CVS among university students, requiring coordinated optometric, institutional, and policy responses. |
