8 Ways to Protect Yourself from Harmful Blue Light of Screens
White light is made up of all visible colors but those at the blue end of the spectrum, what we call blue light, can be harmful. Screens produce blue light at higher levels than emitted by the sun. The increasing number of digital devices in our lives is exposing us to more screen time than ever before. While in many professional settings, employees now spend the vast majority of their working day staring at screens.
These factors are leading to increased eye strain, long-term retina damage, as well as a host of other physical, mental and emotional health disorders.
We should not expect the proliferation of screens to slow down anytime soon. In fact, we should expect an increase in the short to medium term. Thankfully, by assessing the way we use screens, we can find ways you can protect ourselves from the worst effects of extended screen use and high-frequency blue light exposure.
Screen time
We stare at screens more than we sleep, and the trend is increasing as we adopt more devices. According to The Nielsen Total Audience Report: Q2 2017 the average adult in the US spends 10 hours 48 minutes consuming media. 8 hours and 58 minutes of that consumption is through a screen. That is up from 8 hours 42 minutes in 2016, and 7 hours 33 minutes in 2015. Meanwhile, a 2017 SleepScore Labs report found that 79% of the population sleeps less than the 7 hours - men average 5 hours, 45 minutes, while women average 6 hours, 9 minutes.
Smartphone usage has been the biggest driver of increased screen usage. The time US adults spent looking at smartphone screens more than doubled between 2015 and 2017. According to a study of Android users by Dscout, the typical smartphone user touches his or her phone 2,617 time every day. Heavy users interact with their phones more than 5,400 times per day. Whilst data released by Apple showed that iPhone users unlock their phones 80 times a day, that means looking at a screen five times per waking hour.
Time spent looking at screens, especially computer screen increases significantly in certain professions. In many industries, it has become normal for employees to spend their whole working day looking at computer screens. During breaks, these employees will often spend time on their smartphones, and after work, many will spend much of their evening watching television. These high levels of exposure to blue light from screens can have serious and potentially irreversible impacts on our health.
Dangers of Blue Light
White sunlight, which we have become accustomed to over millions of years, is made up of around 25% to 30% blue light. This natural blue light reduces as a percentage of sunlight through the afternoon, guiding our bodies into night-mode. Whereas computer monitors and other electronic screens emit approximately 35% blue light and continue at these high levels well into the evening.