DO you find you spend your life looking at a screen? Do you reach for your phone within minutes of waking up?

If so, you could be a technomaniac – a person with such an obsession for technology that it could be detrimental to your sight.

You are not alone. According to new figures as many as three quarters of 16 to 34-year-olds in York exhibit technomaniac tendencies and admit to looking at their smart phones or tablet devices before going to sleep.

The study commissioned by Sight Care, has found 77 per cent of our waking day is spent looking at a screen, with more than a third of people in York confessing to checking their phone or tablet within ten minutes of waking.

It’s an obsession that is putting our eyes at risk, opticians have warned.

Ruth Perrott, optometrist at VisionCare Optometry in Acomb, said: “Any interaction with a digital device that requires sustained concentration will cause the inner eye muscles to tighten, prompting eye strain in some cases. As a result the eyes can become irritated, dry and uncomfortable.

“People may even suffer from blurred vision and headaches, both symptoms of short-sightedness.”

Emily Torjussen, 31, from Selby is a self-confessed technomaniac. With an array of gadgets including an iPhone, iPad, Mac Air, HTC mobile and Desktop Mac, she admits that her husband finds it a little strange and irritating at times.

Emily said: “Despite his concerns I have mastered the art of multitasking, so that I’m able to talk to him and respond to emails on my phone at the same time.

“I have often tried to reduce the amount of hours I spend staring at a screen and find that it means that I physically have to step away from the technology.”

It isn’t just eye health that needs to be taken into consideration, but also the wider impact on relationships.

A third of people in York text or email during a face to face conversation and over a quarter keep an eye fixed on their phone during activities such as having a romantic dinner.

Technomanics are encouraged to have regular eye exam to identify any potential problems and to follow the following steps:

• Ensure your screen is about an arm’s length away and directly in front of you

• To avoid eye strain, use proper lighting, install anti-glare filters on the monitor and change the screen’s contrast and brightness and clean the monitor regularly

• Blink frequently to prevent dry eyes

• Take regular breaks – look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes

• When you get home, avoid checking emails or your phone for at least an hour.