Context: My friend has been using computer a lot recently, I want to warn him
Spending a lot of time using computer can lead to eye disorders.
Spending a lot of time using computer could lead to eye disorders.
From what I learned, sentence (1) the speaker expresses a general truth, and he/she is quite sure about this this truth. The sentencesSentence (2) shows that the speaker isn't sure about this fact.
My English-speaking friends tell me that when using the two sentencesentences, native speakers don't notice the difference between them. They use them interchangeably with the same meaning. Is that right?