SCENE + HEARD: Daily Post Staring at Smartphones and Tablets Contributes to the Rise of Dry Eye Disease in Children By Staff Monday, September 17, 2018 1:06 PM More children are getting dry eye disease because they spend so much time staring at screens, scientists say. The condition is more common among older people but is rising in the young because they blink less when looking at screens, so their tears dry up quicker. So scientists at Aston University in Birmingham are developing a smartphone app to help diagnose people sooner if they are suffering with dry eyes. The syndrome occurs when tears in the eyes are not produced properly or evaporate too quickly from the surface of the eyeball. This causes irritation and discomfort in the eyes, and can lead to blurred vision or more serious problems. The team's app is designed to help GPs and pharmacists who don't often have the correct equipment to diagnose people with the common condition, the creators said. Click here to read the full story.