WITH the most romantic day of the year coming up on Thursday, many couples in York will be snuggling up with partners for a romantic evening.

Whether in a restaurant or at home, February 14, is supposed to be the one day (and certainly evening) when you devote your attentions solely to the one you love.

However, a new survey reveals that in York more and more people are turning to their mobile phones before nodding off once the lights the go out in the bedroom.

Not only is it seriously unromantic, but opticians are warning the trend for late-night texting, Tweeting, or checking what your friends are up to on Facebook, could also be damaging your eyesight.

Research by Sight Care, the UK support network for independent opticians, has revealed that only one in eight people now say goodnight to their partner after switching off their latest piece of modern technology, with the majority of people looking at their mobile device before nodding off to sleep.

With the ever-increasing technological advances taking up more and more of our time, independent opticians in York are encouraging lovebirds to take a break from their much loved mobiles this Valentine’s Day and focus their attention on their true loved ones.

Self-confessed mobile phone addict, Jordan Gore, 32, from Clifton, admits he spends too much time on his mobile phone when he should be getting some shut-eye.

“It’s something I do,” he said. “If I wake in the middle of the night I really should turn over and try to get back to sleep, but I grab my phone and look at Twitter.

“I do it under the covers so I don’t wake my partner. Sometimes I look at news websites to see if anything exciting is happening. I have been known to spend 30 or 40 minutes doing it in the middle of the night.”

He said: “I don’t bother so much first thing in the morning, but definitely last thing and in the middle of the night if I wake up. I suppose I use it a bit more than I should, but my partner has become accustomed to it now.”

Jordan said he owns an iPhone and iPad, but doesn’t take the iPad to bed because it is “too large”.

According to the survey one in eight people said their partner spends more time using their phone than talking to them. More than a third of unromantic phone addicts text or email during a face-to-face conversation, and more than a quarter keep an eye fixed on their phone to check for incoming messages during activities such as a dinner date.

Paul Surridge, chief executive of Sight Care, said: “Smartphones, iPads and e-readers hold an increasingly important part in many people’s lifestyles and it is easy to overlook the people that we see on a daily basis.

“Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to treat your loved one to quality time together without being interrupted by a phone while giving your eyes a well-deserved rest from constant screen viewing.”

He said: “The research also showed that eyes are the number one attraction for a new partner, with 48 per cent of people saying they are attracted to eyes over other body features. With this in mind, we are urging people to take greater care of their eye health.

“Any interaction with a digital device that requires sustained concentration will cause the inner eye muscles to tighten, prompting eye strain in some cases. As a result the eyes can become irritated, dry and uncomfortable. People may even suffer from blurred vision and headaches, both symptoms of short-sightedness.”

Acknowledging the effects of the constant use of technology, the Sight Care independent optician network is encouraging people to visit their optician for a regular eye test to identify any potential problems.

For additional tips and advice on taking care of your eyes, and to find out more about the Sight Care network campaign, visit eyelovelocal.co.uk, where you can also locate your nearest independent optician.