Blue Light, Phone and Our health

Currently, I'm using blue light filter glasses to help me writing this post. I've got irritation in my right eye since 4 days ago. and it makes me realize that I've been spending a lot of time with my phone and computer. and noticed that my eyes seem to have been overexposed to the blue light from my phone and computer. That's why I wrote this post to remind each other about blue light and how it can harm our health.

Introduction

Blue light is one of the visible lights that we are familiar with. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Blue light is known as light which has a short wavelength of 495 nm on average but it has a large amount of energy.

there is an inverse relationship between the wavelength of light and the amount of energy they contain. The light that has relatively long wavelengths contain less energy, and those that have shorter wavelengths have more energy.

image credit : Tim Hill From Pixabay

If we look at the sky and asking why it's blue, the answer is blue light. this phenomenon is known as Rayleigh Scattering. The sun emits light that carries various wavelengths, including x-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, and radio waves. Then, the earth's atmosphere blocks x-rays, ultraviolet rays, and radio waves, leaving only visible light to enter the earth.

and in the Rayleigh Scattering process, light has short waves would scatter more light than long-wave light, that's why the sky is blue.

you may ask why not indigo or violet? isn't the wavelength of indigo and purple lower than blue?

The answer is because the sun as the source of the light emits a greater quantity of blue light than indigo and violet light. and the human eye is also more sensitive to blue light. The cones in our eyes that play a role in capturing color are more sensitive to blue than indigo or violet. so, it's easier for our eyes to perceive the blue color in the sky.

Why is blue light used on our computer/Phone screens?

image credit : ExplorerBob from Pixabay

There are several reasons why phone or computer makers use blue light on the screen. It was said earlier that blue light is one of the visible light that can be well captured by the human eye. So by using blue light, the display on our computer or phone screens can be seen clearly. and also the light spreads widely.

Another reason is that blue light could hinder the secretion of the hormone melatonin, a hormone that makes us feel sleepy and regulates the natural sleep rhythm (circadian rhythm). so we could use our computers or phones during productive times.

Negative effects of blue light on our phone screens

besides the positive benefits of using blue light on our computer or phone screens. blue light also has some negative effects on us.
1. eye damage
Normally, the blue light level on our computer or phone screen will not damage our eyes. but dangerous things would happen if we use it excessively. and that's what I feel right now. Eyes that are exposed to excess blue light would become tired and it causes eye irritation. Blue light also has a lot of energy which has a profound effect on our retina.

2. insomnia
as mentioned earlier that exposure to blue light on our computer or phone screens could keep us awake during productive times. this is due to blue light hinders the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for making us feel sleepy.

but unfortunately, this is also a fatal mistake if we use computers and phones at night massively. which would break the circadian rhythm and would result in insomnia.

How to prevent the negative effects of blue light?

it's sad that I'm writing this after I myself have suffered the consequences of neglecting this!

Don't use computers or phones excessively, give our eyes time to rest. especially at night
Turn on the blue light filter on the computer/phone. These filters are available for smartphones, tablets, and computer screens nowadays
Use anti-blue light glasses

Conclusion

a lot of work that requires us to deal with our computer or phone screens may be difficult to avoid. and blue light on our device screens helps us stay productive. however, excessive use will have a negative impact on our health, especially on our eyes

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