Experts and advocates have warned for some time–pretty much since the advent of widespread mobile device use–that the screens themselves were physically harmful to users. With a lot of the focus being on damage to the retina due to “blue light” from overly bright smartphone and tablets screens, people have not only bought into the fear, but retailers have also bought the hype. Screen protectors, glare reducing accessories, even blue light blocking glasses are available for those who are worried.
But new analysis of old studies has started to show something interesting: there doesn’t seem to be anything to the fear.
The Washingtonian has a rundown of the study and the medical analysis of it, but in short, there’s no proof linking blue light screen exposure to eye damage, either in the short term or the long term. (It’s worth noting that blue light does seem to be related to the long-held theory of causing disruption to sleep cycles, though, so still turn it off before bedtime and charge it in another room.)
So reading app fans, rejoice and consume away. If you are browsing new betting sites, no problem. If you’re one of the devotees of e-ink dedicated ereaders, keep doing your thing. Except…
What the study couldn’t conclusively demonstrate is that tech users aren’t suffering from eye strain, eye fatigue, bloodshot eyes, and other vision-related ailments. The culprit? The sheer volume of time that consumers of all ages spend in front of a screen.
The article noted that users spend an average of seven hours a day looking at a backlit screen, and that even kids were affected. Despite parents’ best efforts at limiting screen time in accordance with their pediatricians’ recommendations, the truth is that the educational system’s intense focus on 21st century technology in the classrooms may be to blame. Kids as young as kindergarten age come home from a school day filled with Chromebooks and iPads and smartboard projections. That, coupled with a little bit of relaxing television or game time, may be taking a toll.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
I think I’ve come across the idea that blue light damages eyes only on this site. If it did, daylight, which has lots of blue light, would be damaging our eyes more than blue light in computer screens would. The main problem with blue light is one of timing. It inhibits sleep by serving as a signal that it is daytime. It should be avoided in the evening to make it easier to go to sleep, as well as in the early morning before one has had a full night’s sleep. Eyestrain is a different matter than eye damage. It can be caused by backlights and screen glare. E-ink and frontlights are easier on the eyes.
It doesn’t disprove the theory either.
This topic is extremely important because it’s related to the protection of our most valuable asset of sensory perception: the vision. I have read the original article, and the rebuttal by the eye specialist. My conclusion is that the Toledo study with isolated retina cells is huge, and that there should be a phase 2 of the study when real patients were put under the effects of everyday screens for a suitable quantity of time, and with statistical and biochemical analyses of retinal degeneration to confirm or disprove the Toledo findings in the real world.
There is also another topic that was completely omitted: the flicker, which is by itself a big deal that causes acute eye strain. Absurdly, manufacturers and designers of screens just ignored this crucial fact and produced the screens with eye irritating flickering images. Fortunately, the industry has started to change, and there are now 2 manufacturers that produce screens with eye care technology: Benq and Asus. And what’s better is that they are certified by a serious institute that deals with eye care tech.
I also use 2 more factors to help with my vision: I will be buying lightbulbs that don’t flicker and that could project a warm light at least or blue light control if available. Finally, in my daily work with computer screens, I always configure every possible program or app to have a black background with green text to reduce the amount of light that reaches my retina. It also helps the devices to save battery charge.