Is blue light from electronic devices harmful? | ICR (2024)

FAQs

Is blue light from electronic devices harmful? | ICR? ›

When you stare at a screen for hours at a time, whether it is a computer, TV, phone or tablet, you are exposed to blue light from the device. Alarmist headlines claim blue light from too much screen time is blinding us. But there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye.

Blue light from computers will not lead to eye disease.

It is true that overexposure to blue light and UV light rays from the sun can raise the risk of eye disease, but the small amount of blue light coming from computer screens has never been shown to harm your eyes.

Constant exposure to blue light over time could damage retinal cells and cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration. It can also contribute to cataracts, eye cancer and growths on the clear covering over the white part of the eye.

Sources of High-Energy Blue Light

The largest source of blue light is sunlight, but is also emitted by laptops and computer monitors, smartphones, tablets, TV, fluorescent and CFL bulbs.

Impact of Blue Light on Vision

Light-induced retinal damage can result from viewing either a very bright light for a short time (acute exposure) or a less bright light for a longer duration (development of Age-Related Macular Degeneration – AMD). AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in the U.S.

While a blue light filter can help alleviate some of the negative effects associated with prolonged screen use, it cannot eliminate them entirely. Other factors like screen brightness, viewing distance, and duration of use also contribute to eye strain and fatigue.

Like sunglasses, blue light glasses can have long-term eye health benefits. But should you wear them all the time? You can wear your blue light glasses all the time, just like you can wear sunglasses all the time. But when and where you wear your eyewear can make a difference in the quality of your vision.

The screens of electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions can emit blue light that disrupts our natural sleep cycles. Research shows that a majority of Americans use electronic devices within an hour of going to bed, which can lead to unsatisfactory sleep.

Exposure to blue light in the evening or at night has been shown to increase alertness and improve performance on reaction time tasks, most likely as a result of the suppression of the evening onset of melatonin, which leads to a phase delay of the circadian rhythm.

As you probably know, all modern screens emit blue light, which can affect eye health and cause sleeping problems. But no need to panic! We have a few tips to help you protect your eyes and take better care of your vision.

Do cell phones emit blue light? ›

The sun also gives off blue light, helping us feel awake, energized, and ready to take on the day's activities. However, digital devices such as smartphones, TVs, and computer screens also emit blue light, which can impact our ability to fall asleep. Dr.

Can Sunglasses Block Blue Light? Almost all sunglasses protect your eyes by filtering out UV radiation, reducing glare, and blocking blue light when outdoors. However, not all sunglasses effectively reduce blue light from digital screens. The amount of UV filtration depends on the lens tint.

Adding a screen filter to your smartphone, tablet and computer helps filter the amount of blue light your screens give off. Switching your devices to “night mode” may also help. The setting lowers your screen's brightness. This can ease digital eyestrain and may even help you sleep better.

Exposure to all colors of light helps control your natural sleep-and-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm. More so than any other color, blue light messes with your body's ability to prepare for sleep because it blocks a hormone called melatonin that makes you sleepy.

It's safe to say most of us spend a lot of time staring at screens. And that can be bad for our eyes. Blue light from electronics is linked to problems like blurry vision, eyestrain, dry eye, macular degeneration, and cataracts. Some people have sleep issues.

LED lights and our devices do contain a significant amount of blue light (but with important caveats and qualifications - see below), and the concern is that excessive use during evening hours will cause our bodies to continue the production of melanopsin, making it harder to fall asleep naturally.

Long-term exposure to concentrated sources of blue light energy can cause skin damage, including uneven tone, inflammation and weakening of the skin's surface (4). Simply put, blue light promotes stressors in skin that cause photoaging; that is, aging from exposure to light (5).

When you stare at a screen for hours at a time, whether it is a computer, TV, phone or tablet, you are exposed to blue light from the device. Alarmist headlines claim blue light from too much screen time is blinding us. But there is no scientific evidence that blue light from digital devices causes damage to your eye.

The blue light from electronic devices messes with your circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle. It signals your brain to wake up when it should be winding down. In one study, as little as 2 hours of exposure to blue light at night slowed or stopped release of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Blue light fools the brain into thinking it's daytime. When that happens, the body stops releasing a sleep hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is nature's way of helping us wind down and prepare for bed. The body starts releasing it a couple of hours before bedtime.