Blue light is an important component of the visible light spectrum seen by the eyes. It can be considered as a double-edged sword with its boons and threats.
Let's look at the benefits of blue light. It helps kill bacteria, reduce stress, cure jaundice, and boost the metabolism of our body. However, it becomes dangerous when it is transmitted by our smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, and other devices.
Blue light transmitted by our devices, when it reaches the retina, can damage the light-sensitive cells of the eye. Continuous penetration of blue light into the eye can even cause permanent vision loss.
Blue light can kill any cell of our body," said Ajith Karunarathne, Assistant Professor at University of Toledo, Ohio. Karunarathne and his team found in their studies that because of the shorter wavelength and high energy, blue light scatters more easily as compared to other visible lights. Our device's screen emits a substantial amount of blue light and it can result in extreme eye strain when we look into it continuously for a long span of time.
Many initiatives have been taken by the big brands to minimize the hazards of blue light. Apple introduced a "night shift" option to protect the users' eyes from blue light. Samsung offers a "blue light filter" option to reduce the amount of blue light exposure to our eyes. There are many applications exclusively designed for Android smartphones to get a blue light filter on the phone's screen.
Apart from this, the use of lenses easily available in the market to block blue light is beneficial. These lenses should have a wavelength of less than 450nm to obstruct the entry of blue light into the eyes.
Try to minimize the time you spend looking at the phone screen. Use a time-tracking application to track how often you use your phone. There are many applications available, such as, Social Fever, Quality Time, App Detox, My Addictometer, etc.
