Apologies for creating a new thread to introduce myself however after finding this site a couple of weeks ago and reading so many posts from everyone I wanted to share my experience which involves issues with tech and non-tech.
I am 48 and live in England. I have worn contact lenses for 15 years and glasses for 20 years. I have mild blepharitis as well as astigmatism.
In 2010 I purchased my first tablet pc the Advent Vega made by Currys / Dixons. (Currys / Dixons is a high street / online retailer here in England for those unaware) After a few seconds my eyes became very tired. This was the start.
Since 2010 the only other tablet that has caused an issue is the Amazon Fire 7. I have been able to use Huawei Mediapad T3 and T5 as well as ipads.
In terms of mobile phones I have had issues with a Nokia Lumia Windows mobile (cannot remember model no), Huawei P9 Lite, Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, iphone SE, Google Pixel 6a and Samsung Galaxy A52s.
Now my current mobile, Google Pixel 3a and secondary device a ZTE A512 both gave mild issues at first but my eyes somehow got used to the device and now are fine.
Choosing a new mobile is challenging as I prefer smaller handsets and these days they are a rarity. Hence why I recently bought the Pixel 6a. Prior to purchase I read that both the 3a and 6a appeared to have identical screen types but when looking at the home screen on the 6a the icons / graphics appeared more vivid / intense.
When I use a new device I immediately turn down the brightness as bright screens affect my eyes more. I also use the Twilight app on devices including my desktop pc.
Sometimes when I look at a screen it feels like a ray or something is coming from the screen towards my eyes if that makes sense ?
PC monitors were fine until a few years ago when I purchased an Acer K222HQL and although this caused me issues I persevered and now my eyes are okay with it though I do think it is causing a low level issue somehow. Prior to this I owned an IIyama Prolite E2208HDS which was a great monitor. I note that this has a CCFL backlight / TN panel.
I have read the discussions on GPU's etc and for years I have been using a refurbed Dell Optiplex 760, all good. Recently I bought a refurbed Lenovo Thinkcentre M93p and this has caused issues with my eyes. Could the Intel i7 chip be an issue ?
I do not currently own a tv and so everything goes through my Acer K222HQL. I purchased a Roku TV streaming stick and this caused huge issues with my eyes. When I plugged this into my parents tv a Hisense R43B7120UK it still caused an issue. My eyes are good with this tv when watching tv or using the inbuilt apps including Roku TV which it natively has. I then tried Google Chromecast with Google TV which was slightly easier on the eye. Finally the Amazon Firestick that only gave mild issues and my eyes are now used to it.
One more example with a tech related issue. I have been playing an Android mobile game called Dream League Soccer for a few years now and the first 3 versions - Dream Soccer 20, 21 and 22 were fine however the latest version Dream League Soccer 23 has been released and causes mild issue with my eyes. It must be the graphics that are being used in the new version.
Graphics and fonts on some websites cause issues as well as certain wallpapers that I install on both my pc and Pixel 3a.
Away from tech I have also had issues with patterns on clothing that includes shirts and ties. One example was a Gingham style shirt.
Also those puzzles on the internet made up of black and white squares where you stare at the centre for around 30 seconds and your eyes see a picture. I used to be able to look at these but not anymore.
Thinking about all of the examples I have listed above it is important to say that not every device / product causes the same sensation with my eyes. They have ranged from mild tiredness / nauses to a strong almost burning type sensation. In addition my eyes can take anywhere from a few hours to the next day and longer to recover.
I spoke with an optometrist about 7 years ago who suggested it may be a communication issue between my brain and eyes. I am going to speak with my current optometrist soon to ask their opinion.
I may speak with my GP but I do not think I will get anywhere as this is not a major health issue suffered by millions and so doubt the NHS will be too concerned about looking into it.
Reading the plethora of stories and comments on here I don't think that everyone has the exact same issue, maybe slight variations or just slightly different eye issues hence the variations on what devices are causing problems.
Personally I think my issue is related to focus and I am intrigued by the patch covering idea which I will be trying soon to see if it brings some improvement.