Beyond the Screen: University Educators Share How Digital Eye Strain Affects Their Work and Daily Life
Published 23 April, 2026
Digital technology has become central to university teaching, but long hours of screen use can come at a cost. In a new qualitative study published in Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare, Alex S. Borromeo from the College of Nursing at Bulacan State University explored how university educators in the Philippines experience and cope with digital eye strain.
The study involved nine faculty members with moderate-to-severe digital eye strain. Through semi-structured interviews, participants described symptoms such as eye fatigue, headaches, blurred vision, and discomfort that affected both their work and home life.
Four major themes were identified: digital health and resilience, workstation and environmental ergonomics, work-life integration, and health services, policy supports, and system-level enablers. The findings show that while digital tools help educators stay productive, they can also contribute to physical strain and stress related to heavy technology use.
The study also presents a proposed coping framework showing how digital eye strain is shaped not only by symptoms and individual coping, but also by workplace conditions, institutional support, and broader policy context.
"Solutions should go beyond individual coping," says Borromeo. "Universities may need to strengthen ergonomic assessments, structured screen-break practices, eye health programs, and digital wellness education. These changes could help build safer and more sustainable academic work environments."
Contact author:
Alex S. Borromeo, Bulacan State University, Philippines, alex.borromeo@bulsu.edu.ph
Conflict of interest:
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
See the article:
Alex S. Borromeo. Beyond the Screen: Lived Experiences and Coping Strategies of Educators Facing Digital Eye Strain in a Philippine University. Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare (2026), article 100046. DOI: 10.1016/j.qrmh.2026.100046.