What are the 5 harmful effects of screens and their light?

Many people tend to spend a lot of time in front of screens and aren’t aware about the negative consequences. Generally speaking, these devices are used for work, for communication or for entertainment. But what we do not know is that the light which is emitted by these ubiquitous screens, is a source of many health disorders. 

Currently, spending time in front of a TV or smartphone has turned into a habit to avoid boredom at home. We often turn on the screen automatically, to clear our minds after a tiring day for example.

In the case of children, they use screens for only one reason: to have fun. For example, a child stays in front of the TV to watch cartoons. If a family owns a console, he can spend hours playing video games. Moreover, this situation can be dangerous for his health. In particular, it can trigger negative effects on the physical and mental health of the child..

For young boys or girls during their teenage years, screens are typically used to log in to social media, watch movies or TV series, etc. In real time, they can spend more than 4 hours daily on the Internet in front of a computer screen or a mobile and more than 2 hours in front of a television.

Given the current health context, many people use screens to work. This forces them to spend a lot of time in front of a computer or a phone. Not to mention, besides professional activities, they use these screens for entertainment. There are also night workers who expose themselves to screens for more than 6 hours at times.

Everything might seem to be going well for us, though excessive exposure is a bad sign for our well-being. For various reasons, some screens are on for many hours. On the one hand, it could be beneficial as it allows us to do a lot of activities. On the other hand, the situation can get worse if one is not careful while using these. Moreover, blue light is projected permanently on our eyes, which can eventually cause harmful or even dangerous effects for the individual.

The retina, a thin internal membrane found at the back of the eye, picks up light impressions and passes them on to the optic nerve. Artificial blue light emitted by screens is capable of blurring vision, making eyes dry, and causing eye strain. Due to a prolonged use of digital devices, blue light can be a source of damage to retinal cells. Since it affects the retina and causes visual disturbance, it is strongly recommended to wear anti-blue light glasses in order to filter the rays.

Melatonin is one of the elements which is affected, the hormone that tells the body that it is going to sleep. The screens release brightness that constantly wakes up the brain, reducing the rate of melatonin production. This effect can cause headaches, insomnia or even depression in the person.

Just like with adults, the risks associated with screens are also high for children. They can harm the psychological development and general health of the child. When he spends time on a screen, he easily loses interest in other activities, does not move enough, or do any physical activities. Consequently, his parents will have to remain careful and manage his screen usage time.

The duration and quality of sleep seems to be decreasing because of the blue light which is emitted by all sorts of digital screens. This leads to a desynchronization in terms of the melatonin level, which regulates the awake/sleep cycle. This is the cause of sleep disturbance, difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakenings during the night.

Overexposure to screens can trigger stress. Without even realizing it, this speeds-up the aging process of the skin just like the effect of tobacco. Comparing the wavelength of blue light to the one of ultraviolet light, it is longer. Consequently, the penetration of its rays is deeper within the skin.

To protect yourself, it is important to establish time limits while using the screen. For a child, it is preferable to practice other creative activities such as drawing, coloring, cycling because this way, he cannot be exposed to screens for more than an hour a day. As for teenagers, the time limit is between 2 to 3 hours a day, we should try to do something else like read a book or play board games. When it comes to adults, they cannot exceed 4 hours of use outside of work.

In short, our daily habits related to screens can make an impact on certain functions of our body. Whether it concerns children, adolescents or adults, it can lead to certain physical and psychological disorders. Therefore, do not wait for the disease to show up, take the required  measures to avoid the risks. To benefit from the advantages of the anti-blue light glasses, discover the Blue Light range from Nooz, which develops glasses in keeping with everyday life. Moreover, monitor the time you spend in front of a screen.