The average office worker will spend almost 1,700 hours a year in front of a computer screen

The average office worker will spend almost 1,700 hours a year in front of a computer screen, a poll has found.

A study into screen time at work has revealed office workers will spend an average of 6 and a half hours a day sat at their computer or laptop.

But this overexposure to digital screens is taking its toll with 37 per cent of squinting office workers admitting to having to make the text on their computer screen larger in order to see it.

And one in four have had to move their screen closer to them to bring their work into focus.

Katie McGeechan from ACUVUE, which commissioned the research, said: “Computers are a relatively new concept – for millions now, staring at a screen all day is the norm.

“However if you look back just a few decades, far fewer of us would have spent the day looking into the same glowing rectangle, and when you add mobile phones into the mix, we’re putting our eyes through a lot every day.”

The need to take a break from screens is something that office workers appreciate, with 53 per cent of respondents aiming to take regular time away from their screen to make sure they don’t suffer eye strain or tiredness.

Thirty-one per cent of those who take a break from their screen do so specifically in order to give their eyes a rest from looking at screens.

But of those who don’t take regular screen breaks, 48 per cent believe they suffer from symptoms of eye dryness or tired eyes as a result.

And 37 per cent have attributed a headache to excessive screen time.

The survey of 2,000 office workers also revealed 71 per cent considered themselves to be generally fit and healthy adults.

Despite this perception, one in five have not visited their optician in more than two years.

More than half also admitted they pay less attention to their eye health than any other aspect of their general health.

For those office workers struggling with the effects, on their eyes, of excessive screen time ACUVUE® OASYS 1-Day Brand Contact Lenses with HydraLuxe™ Technology lenses can provide excellent comfort.