A developer recently claimed that prolonged wearing of a virtual reality headset could damage users' eyesight. However, there is currently no hard evidence that VR causes permanent eye damage.
Danny Bittman is a developer specializing in virtual reality (VR) . The interested party has created a lot of content, whether it is 360° videos or virtual reality experiences. In a tweet published on June 10, 2020 (see below), he recounted his last visit to the ophthalmologist.
“I just had my first eye consultation in 3 years. Now I am very worried about my future use of VR. I have a new ocular convergence problem acting like dyslexia. According to the doctor, who also owns a helmet, my use of virtual reality is the origin. He said 'these are glasses we usually prescribe to over 40s' ».
Visibly worried, Danny Bittman seems to agree with several doctors who, in the past, have already mentioned problems related to the excessive use of VR. As a BBC article explains, experts believe VR can cause significant eye strain.
This would be caused by the fact that the brain has to process visual stimuli in an unusual way . However, if ordinary players can possibly limit their daily use, Danny Bittman can spend up to six hours with a VR headset on his head. Indeed, creating VR content is simply his job.
The BBC also interviewed Ceri Smith-Jaynes, representative of the Association of Optometrists in the United Kingdom. The person explained that there is still no reliable evidence that VR headsets are the cause of permanent deterioration of sight, whether in children or adults. In addition, Ceri Smith-Jaynes indicated that some studies have already examined the effects of short-term use of VR headsets. However, the latter would not have noticed anything at this level.
In January 2020, US researchers unveiled a study on other physical problems (excluding motion sickness and sight) related to VR. The results showed that prolonged use could cause arm pain and muscle injury in the shoulder area. In addition, the study raised concerns about the weight of the VR headset exerted on the cervical spine.
