MYTH: Staring at the computer can ruin your eyesight.   BUSTED: “No. The problem is when you use the computer for a long period you will experience dry eyes and discomfort, it won’t cause any permanent damage. Sometimes in children, aged two to three years, when they use phones and computers they tend to keep it near and focus near rather than looking in the distance. Then the problem that occurs is that they become myopic where they can see near and not the distance. This doesn’t happen in adults, but in growing children.”explained Dr.M. Wijetunge, Retired Consultant Eye Surgeon of the Ragama Teaching Hospital.