Screen Time Index: This is how much the UK is addicted to Social Media.

This index analyses global differences in the amount of time people spend looking at screens - for example, watching TV, playing video games and scrolling through social media.

• With an average of 102 minutes a day, The UK spend the 9th least time on social media.

• On average, people in the UK spend 133 minutes a day using their smartphones. This ranks them in the top 10 least smartphone usage in the world.

• Colombia spends the most time on social media with 225 minutes a day.

• Israel spends the most time using their smartphones. On average they spend 364 minutes per day on their phones.

Mister Spex, Europe's leading omnichannel optician, has conducted a data analysis of leisure-related screen time in various countries around the world. A total of 25 OECD countries were selected and analysed. The analysis focused on the average time spent in front of screens, with a focus on TV, smartphone, gaming and social media. With the global Covid 19 pandemic necessitating more online activity, the total time people spend in front of screens is expected to increase significantly.

Social media and smartphone use- risk to our eye health

As part of its commitment to promoting eye health, Mister Spex wants to raise awareness of screen time in everyday life - especially during the Covid 19 pandemic - and its potential impact on the health of our eyes. The development that people increasingly have their smartphone at hand in everyday life is no longer a new one. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that smartphone use has increased even more as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.

In order not to endanger physical health, but especially eyesight, it is important to be aware of the time spent in front of screens.

"Although there are as yet no official recommendations for the maximum number of hours adults should spend in front of screens, we are learning more and more about the negative consequences of a lifestyle characterised by constantly looking down at a screen and its impact on our health and general well-being. It is important that we are all aware of the extra hours we spend in front of screens," explains Benny Bendt, optician at Mister Spex. "To do something good for your eyes, you can use eye drops in doses, for example. They keep your eyes moist and protect them from drying out. In addition, you can use various relaxation techniques (for example, so-called "palming") and especially in the evening hours and when working at a screen, we recommend wearing glasses with blue filters."

General screen time in comparison - UK ranks in the middle field

Data analysis shows that the UK ranks 5th overall in the Screen Time Index. In terms of TV time, the UK ranks 2nd with 156 minutes per day. Compared to other major economies, the UK tends to watch more TV online: 67 minutes per day are spent by Britons watching online streams, compared to 80 minutes in the US. In terms of video games, the UK is 5th in our ranking. Brits spend an average of 57 minutes a day on the console or TV. Ireland takes first place in terms of screen time for video games with 74 minutes, and Israel is in last place. The USA is the world's most watched country for linear TV. On average, US Americans spend 175 minutes per day watching linear TV.