The Habit of Binge-Watching Short Videos Is Silently Eroding Your Vision

Accommodation strain and silent decline in vision

When watching short videos, the eyes must constantly adapt to rapid changes in brightness, color, and motion. The ciliary muscles and the accommodation system are forced to work almost nonstop, leading to quick fatigue and unstable vision. At the same time, the blinking rate – a mechanism that maintains the tear film – decreases significantly when focusing on the screen, causing tears to evaporate quickly, the corneal surface to dry out, and mild inflammation to persist. If this habit continues, it may develop into chronic dry eye, increasingly common among young people and office workers.

Blue light and deeper biological impacts

Blue light (short wavelength, high energy) from screens can pass through the cornea and lens, reaching the retina and promoting oxidative stress in photoreceptor cells. Over the long term, this is considered one of the mechanisms suspected to contribute to early-onset macular degeneration among heavy device users. In addition, the habit of watching videos at night suppresses melatonin, causing circadian rhythm disorders. With poor sleep quality, the eyes cannot fully recover, leading to cumulative accommodative fatigue and faster vision decline.

Why short videos strain the eyes more than reading

Caught in the loop of short videos – a habit that silently exhausts the eyes.

Compared with reading a book – where light and content are relatively stable – short videos exert much stronger pressure on the accommodation system and tear film. When focusing on fast-moving content, the blinking rate can drop by 50–60%, leaving the cornea dry, with a stinging sensation or a gritty feeling like having a foreign body.

Furthermore, the constant scene changes force the eyes to continually shift focus, quickly tiring the ciliary muscles; blue light from smartphones penetrates deeply into the retina; and the habit of holding the phone too close prolongs near work – a risk factor for progressive myopia, especially among children and adolescents.

Comparison between reading and watching short videos

The risk of progressive myopia in the younger generation

For children and adolescents, short videos combined with lack of outdoor activity create a “dual risk” for worsening myopia. Prolonged near work encourages the eyeball to elongate, rapidly increasing refractive error. Once progressive myopia sets in, regular glasses are insufficient for control, and the risks of later complications such as retinal degeneration or detachment rise proportionally with higher myopia.

Common symptoms after binge-watching short videos

Red, tired eyes after hours glued to a smartphone screen, watching movies, scrolling endless short videos…

After long viewing sessions, many report tired, dry, and red eyes; temporary blurred vision and poor concentration; headaches with neck and shoulder stiffness; and sleep disturbances when watching at night. Although initially only minor discomfort, repeated exposure makes these symptoms prone to becoming chronic, falling under the group of Computer Vision Syndrome disorders, directly impairing study and work performance.

In many cases, chronic dry eye becomes an irreversible consequence. In particular, the combination of progressive myopia and the effects of blue light further increases the risk of early macular degeneration – a condition that can lead to irreversible loss of central vision.

The path to protecting vision in the digital era

With binge-watching short videos, set time limits, break entertainment into smaller sessions, activate blue light filters or use blue-light-blocking glasses, while maintaining adequate humidity and nutritional support for retinal protection.

In addition, balance your life by making time for outdoor activities, reading, and conversations with family to reduce screen dependency. Avoid bringing devices into the bedroom and ask yourself before binge-watching: does this content truly provide positive value or simply waste precious time?

Protecting your eyes is not just about “reducing screen time” but about optimizing its use. The 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes of screen use, take a 20-second break, and look at something 20 feet away) helps restore accommodative relaxation. Viewing distance for phones and short videos should be reasonable, ambient lighting balanced, and limiting phone use before bed supports ocular recovery.

A diet rich in omega-3, vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin helps stabilize the tear film and protect the macula. When symptoms persist beyond two weeks without improvement, an eye examination becomes essential to prevent progression of damage.

Phakic ICL – a modern solution for the myopia generation

For those already in advanced stages of myopia, particularly individuals with thin corneas or chronic dry eye from prolonged screen use, procedures like LASIK or PRK are often unsuitable. At this point, Phakic ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) becomes a safe and effective alternative.

• Phakic ICL (Implantable Collamer Lens) is a biocompatible lens placed behind the iris and in front of the natural lens, without damaging the cornea and without worsening dry eye
• The procedure typically takes 20–30 minutes, with rapid recovery and clear vision day and night
• It can be removed if necessary to suit future visual needs

This is a safe, effective choice for patients with high myopia or myopia with astigmatism who are unsuitable for laser surgery.

Conclusion

Binge-watching short videos brings instant pleasure but leaves cumulative consequences for vision. From temporary eye fatigue to chronic dry eye, from childhood myopia to the risk of early macular degeneration, these effects stem from the biological mechanisms of the tear film, accommodation, and retinal sensitivity to relentless stimuli.

Actively adjusting habits, strengthening eye care, and seeking appropriate treatment – with Phakic ICL as a notable solution – is the practical way to safeguard vision in the digital era.