The Dangers Of Blue Light
You’re reading my words right now on a technological device. I myself am using a screen to write this essay. We have a difficult time avoiding these devices with screens that are unmasking blue light on us. Almost everything we do requires a screen, whether it be the screen of a smartphone, computer, smartphone, etc. I think we all subliminally know that screen time has so many negative effects on our mental and physical health, but we all ignore this because, plain and simple, we can’t avoid it – the screen.
Technology screens provide us access to Youtube videos, New York Times articles, our favorite restaurant menus, etc. It’s a miraculous invention, but with health issues. The technology screen, when really thought about, is a window to limitless information, and an opening to our individual downfalls. It is something that, because we are always staring at it and into it, instigates an addiction, leading our bodies to constantly experience the feelings associated with jet lag. We may stay up late to finish an assignment, play one more round in a video game, or get in one last episode on Netflix, making us overtired the next day. We are all guilty of staying up too late on our computers or phone when we should have been resting. The extensive time spent on our screens that flood with blue light affects our ability for our minds to be well-rested.
According to the article, “Here’s How Technology Affects Our Life,” published in The Economic Times, “Technology has altered human physiology. [The emission of blue light] affects memory, attention spans, and sleep cycles. This is attributed to a scientific phenomenon known as neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to alter its behaviour based on new experiences.” So it turns out that there are several reasons for sleeplessness, ranging from there being quite literally less time to sleep if we are glued to a screen, to the harmful effects of blue light on the circadian rhythm, and more.
In 2019 the government has found that the children are so attracted to the video games that they have decided to set restrictions, “that [limits] children to just three hours weekly of online gaming time — an hour between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday most weeks.” This prevents children from being overly exposed to the screen for multiple hours a day which also minimizes their exposure to the blue light. The way the government is monitoring the time used on video games is by having, “Companies have set up real-name registration systems to prevent young users from exceeding their game time limits, and have incorporated facial recognition checks that require users to verify their identities.” Chinese children are able to have more time for outdoor activities and focus on schoolwork and the future.
Blue light causes physical damage to the retina, which also disrupts the circadian rhythm needed for effective sleep. A study conducted in China in 2018 as published in the NCBI, “Research Progress About The Effect And Prevention of Blue Light On Eyes,” discovered that “…if blue light is excessive, especially at night when melatonin production peaks, it can not only damage the retina through the ocular surface, but can also stimulate the brain, inhibit melatonin secretion, and increase corticosteroid production, thereby destroying hormonal secretion and directly affecting sleep quality.”
We know that blue light is unavoidable as it is present in all technological settings. So although we might be reading intriguing articles from the Washington Post, our retina is taking a significant blow in its ability to function. It also becomes difficult to settle in bed once our minds are stimulated from both content and the light itself; our brain races at this time, which affects our sleep quality as our circadian rhythm, which is ongoing for twenty-four hours a day, is disrupted from the untimely use of our devices. Because staring into blue light affects our eyes, and the circadian rhythm is what notifies us when it’s time to go to bed, our bodies are manipulated into thinking it should stay awake for longer and our circadian rhythm is then “off.” We wake up the next morning feeling so unenergized, with blue light acting as the culprit. Our addiction to Netflix might be to blame for us not getting “enough hours of sleep” but the blue light prevents us from “getting enough quality sleep” when we finally drop our heads into the pillow.
Blue light damages the body in other ways, too. In the Spine Institute of North America, B. Yanni reports on an ailment they described as “Teck Neck ” is discussed, the results of spending hours hunched over our screens. Right now as you read this, you are probably – let me guess – a bit hunched over. Well, when we’re all slouched up in our chairs and applying pressure on our cervical spine and neck, we are causing ourselves to have “Teck Neck.” According to the Spine Institute of North America, “Inflammation and stress of your connective tissues and neck muscles can cause stiffening or hardening of tissues and limit the rotation in your neck.” So, our good uninterrupted sleep is disrupted when the neck muscle pain that is developed from slouching over worsens, causing multiple wake-ups from what can become severe discomfort. The neck and upper back tightness that occurs from the excessive amount of weight that is prolonged by one’s insufficient posture causes our natural circadian rhythm to become interrupted, yielding continuously poor sleep patterns.
Ding! We ask our phones to track our screen time and they do. But when the notification pops up at the end of the week, we delete it like it’s terrible news that we don’t want to hear. Living in denial is damaging our bodies both physically and mentally. We use our smart devices too often and for long periods of time, costing ourselves desired sleep and limiting the effectiveness of the sleep we don’t experience. Our brains and bodies are paying the price of thirst for knowledge and information. If modern life allows us to be
Blue light exposure from technological devices causes sleep disturbances in the human body. When people look at their cellphones, laptops, etc. for a prolonged period of time, they are exposed to blue light. “Blue Light: What Is It and How Does It Affect Your Sleep?” describes blue light as “…a color in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by human eyes” whose short-wavelength produces “higher amounts of energy” than other colors. At one point in the world’s existence, blue light could only come from the sun, but now we experience it through digital screens. Because of this people’s sleep cycles are adversely affected, causing physical damage to the retina, and people are not getting valuable sleep and waking up fatigued and unrested.
First, we have the problem of blue light impacting the human eye. Exposure to blue light can damage the retina, which is a serious medical concern. If our eyes are being exposed to an artificial form of blue light which causes our eyes to become blurry and strained after a while, then imagine what is occurring when we are doing the same before going to bed.
In the article called “Blue light and Your Eyes” written by Prevent Blindness, research has found “that continued exposure to blue light over time could lead to damaged retinal cells.” Blue light exposure does irreparable damage to the retina. According to Dr. Jasmine Shaikh, MD, “blue light damages the retina and macula, the eye conditions that develop as a result are generally irreversible.”
The research conducted In the NCBI study, “Influence of blue light on photoreceptors in a live retinal explant system” has come to the same conclusion that visible blue light affects the retina cells. This damage to the human body is not only in effect for the short term but also in the long term. The researcher was able to conclude, “In our system, prolonged blue light exposure caused cell death in the ONL of retinal explants. These findings are consistent with the results of previous studies demonstrating that blue light can trigger intracellular ROS production and apoptosis in different retinal cell lines.” These are costly damages as it triggers other parts of the eye that are connected to the retina. Apoptosis is cell death which can cause a lack of blood supply which can cause more foreseeing issues. The blue light has an effect on the increase of ROS production, causes harm to cell structure and homeostasis, and results in oxidative stress. In the research, they were able to see that, “In our system, the retinal explants displayed an increase in fluorescent products of DHE in photoreceptors following exposure to blue light.” The retina which is located in the back of the eye is exposed to more of the blue light from the smart devices passing through the other parts of the front eye compared to when exposed to regular light from the sun.
We are aware that when we are on our computers we tend to get headaches after a long day of being in front of a computer screen not knowing the reason for this. The reason that makes the most sense is blue light which exposes large amounts of light causing tiredness of the body and head.
Then, there’s the problem of blue light affecting melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally released at night and helps with the sleep and wake cycle. The blue light which shines on the backs of our eyes also causes damage to our brains which controls the production of melatonin. A study conducted in China in 2018 as published in the NCBI, “Research Progress About The Effect And Prevention of Blue Light On Eyes,” discovered that “…if blue light is excessive, especially at night when melatonin production peaks…[it] can also stimulate the brain, inhibit melatonin secretion, and increase corticosteroid production, thereby destroying hormonal secretion and directly affecting sleep quality.” Corticosteroid is a hormone that is created naturally in the human body at a specific pace. The blue light on the other hand affects the pace by increasing the production which can lead to more issues throughout the body like the circadian rhythm.
Because the circadian rhythm – which should notify you when it’s time to go to bed – is disrupted, a person’s body is tricked into thinking it should stay awake for longer as the circadian rhythm becomes off-balance. When the circadian rhythm which is also known as the human clock is affected the brain starts to get confused. The circadian rhythm has the job of alerting the body when to wake up and go to sleep. The blue light that is in our phones tricks the brain into thinking that it is still daytime and keeps you awake. Also, the circadian rhythm is in charge to let the body know two hours before going to sleep to produce a significant amount of melatonin to be able to get a well-rested and uninterrupted sleep.
This same conclusion has also been found in a review published in 2019 in the Journal of Biological and Medical Rhythm Research – that blue light, more than other colors of light, disrupts the production of melatonin, stated in “Blue Light, What is It, and How Does it Affect Your Sleep?” This same article references Afifa Shamim-Uzzaman, MD, an associate professor in neurology at the University of Michigan and Medical Director at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System’s Sleep Disorders Center. He explains how “blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin for twice as long as the immediately longer green wavelength of light.” This goes to show that blue light directly impacts sleep because exposure to this light in the late evening hours interrupts the body’s ability to produce melatonin and having an insufficient amount of melatonin causes sleep disturbance. Our bodies are prone to make a sufficient amount of melatonin to have a restful sleep without our bodies walking up needlessly to our sleep. What’s more, “Blue Light, What is It, and How Does it Affect Your Sleep?” also shares research about a study that concluded that “…people who looked at e-readers before bedtime even had shorter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, a deeper state of sleep when key parts of the brain’s memory consolidation processes happen.” A shorter REM sleep is where our brain is not really working and is resting as there is not as much rapid eye movement which is all controlled by the brain. The more that we allow our brains to rest the more well-rested we will feel in the morning. We tend to wake up in the morning feeling like our brains are full and are not intaking information well. This is because our brains are not well rested and getting sufficient quality sleep is the only way to improve this.
Blue light is everywhere we go but we can take precautions our necessity for sleep and vision isn’t taken from us. Although we adore our technological devices, eliminating video games is more important than our eyesight and the health benefits of a good night’s sleep. According to the insider, “Though dark mode may not help to protect vision, it may help you fall asleep more quickly if you often use electronic devices before bed.” This is helpful as we tend to have difficulty getting off our phones at night and because of dark mode, this will not only benefit us by emitting less blue light but also help us fall asleep quicker.
Although introduced to the world in 2007, it was not until 2012 that smartphones, particularly the iPhone, swept society by storm. Now, it is hard to remember a life before we were able to occupy our time with a six-inch entertainment device sitting in our pockets. With the introduction of smart devices has come so many benefits to our world that we tend to overlook one enormous negative: our addiction to smart devices, particularly in the evening hours, has altered our sleeping patterns without us even realizing it. We stare into our screens, hoping to catch one more laugh at a hilarious meme or a few more minutes messaging our friends, but with that comes the detrimental effects of blue light. It would be appropriate, therefore, for the sake of the health of our bodies, to set screen time limitations to help us restore appropriate sleeping patterns. Eliminating screen time one hour before going to bed, paired with using night mode once the sun goes down, will improve the quality of sleep.
We have never heard of or seriously thought about blue light before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the rise of blue-light glasses. So for almost a decade, blue light has been impacting our retinas and circadian rhythm as published in “Research Progress About The Effect And Prevention of Blue Light On Eyes” in 2018. But because of a lack of immediate harmful effects, it’s easy for us to say that blue light does not or has not impacted our health. Now that the world for the most part knows what blue light is, some wear blue-light glasses during the day for schoolwork or our careers while in front of the computer screen, but even this was a big phase during the early parts of the pandemic, and most us are certainly not wearing such before bed while staring at our phones. Yet the bright phone screen late in the evening when the night sky is dark is worse than daytime computer usage when the sun is out, according to “Why You Should Use Dark Mode on the iPhone.” The effects of blue light are real and build up slowly over time, and limiting blue light exposure is critical to preserving the overall health of our bodies.
Let’s look at peoples’ sleep needs by age. “Screen Time and Sleep: Children and Teenagers” shares that children ages 3-5 years need 10-13 hours of sleep per night, kids and pre-teens need 9-11 hours of sleep per night, and teenagers need 8-10 hours per night. We know from “Research Progress About The Effect And Prevention of Blue Light On Eyes” that “if blue light is excessive, especially at night when melatonin production peaks, it can not only damage the retina through the ocular surface, but can also stimulate the brain, inhibit melatonin secretion, and increase corticosteroid production, thereby destroying hormonal secretion and directly affecting sleep quality.” So we also know that blue light before bed impacts “how quickly your child falls asleep and how long your child sleeps,” as explained in “Screen Time and Sleep: Children and Teenagers.” This means that if we fail to monitor teens by taking the phone away or turning off Netflix one hour before bed, then we fail to meet our growing bodies’ sleeping needs all the while saying “okay, continue damaging your retina, sweetheart!”
According to the article, “Here’s How Technology Affects Our Life,” published in The Economic Times, “Technology has altered human physiology. [The emission of blue light] affects memory, attention spans, and sleep cycles. This is attributed to a scientific phenomenon known as neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to alter its [behavior] based on new experiences.” It is critical, then, to set screen time limitations and use dark mode once the sun sets; “ “Why You Should Use Dark Mode on the iPhone” explains that “dark mode helps protects your eyes from the traditionally blinding whiteness of computer and phone screens” and alleviates the headaches and eye pain associated with excessive screen time.
According to the video, Why you don’t need blue light lenses, Dr. Sunir Garg an ophthalmologist reacts to how a store in a mall that mentions that blue light can “tear your eyes out” by saying “ it’s not something, you know, that we see and I think people are exaggerating stuff”. Dr. Sunir Garg is basing these statements based on what he knows and may not really be up to date from when he had made these statements. He had later on stated in another part of the video, “I don’t have patients coming in ever with any signs of damage to their retinas from looking at their screen all day.” Garg is basing it on what he sees and what his prior knowledge which is only one group of people which is seen in his office. Experimental studies are being conducted every day about blue light and they are finding more negative than positive as they move further into their studies.
“Sleep Disorders Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease: A Perspective” notes that sleep disturbances are linked to Alzheimer’s, dementia, obesity, and cancer. These illnesses are terrible to have but are overlooked by many as they are aware that they don’t occur right away. The possibility of these illnesses drastically rises over time as there is an increase in the amount of blue light exposure on our bodies. We all look at the present not and not the negative effects that can occur in the foreseeable future which are detrimental. In the United States obesity is common and having an addiction to screens doesn’t help. Not only are the smart devices in today’s world addictive but they cause us to ignore our health and are willing to watch Netflix all day and night. Cancer is very serious and so is the blue light that can lead to cancer. Alzheimer’s which is common to many is also a common illness that occurs as the blue light from our screens the formation of brain plaques and interferes with short-term memory. The blue light that comes from our smartphones can cause us to have dementia as the blue light disrupts the circadian rhythm which can cause depression and aggravation. If watching one more TikTok before bed every night is worth the risk to said person, then so be it.
References
Brzecka, A. Leszek, J. Ejma, M. May 31, 2018. Sleep Disorders Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease: A Perspective. Frontiers.
Caprito, A. June 3, 2019. Why you should use dark mode on the iPhone. CNET
Chai, C. July 12, 2021. Blue Light: What Is It and How Does It Affect Your Sleep?.New York. Everyday Health.
Laderer, A. January 22, 2021. Why dark mode isn’t actually better for your eyes. New York. Insider
Roehlecke, C. Schumann, U. Ader, M. Knels, L. Funk R. April 8, 2011. Influence of Blue Light on Photoreceptors in a Live Retinal Explant System. China. NCBI
Soo, Z. September 20, 2021. Parents in China Laud Rule Limiting Video Game For Kids. Shanghai, China. AP News
Tahkamo, L. October 12, 2018. Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Taylor and Francis Online
Yanni, B. June 4, 2019. All About Tech Neck. New Jersey. Spine Institute of North America
Zhao, Z. Zhou, Y. Tan, G. Li, J. November 12, 2018. Research Progress About The Effect And Prevention of Blue Light On Eyes. China. NCBI
Screen time and sleep: children and teenagers. Australia. Raising Children
November 22, 2019.Why you don’t need blue light lenses: Hidden camera investigation (Marketplace). Canada.CBC News.
Blue Light and Your Eyes. Illinois. Prevent Blindness
January 14, 2018. Here’s How Technology Affects Our Life. Mumbai, India. Economic Times
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Counterintuitive Fall 2022 