Average daily screen time now exceeds our sleeping hours, and it’s leading to several health issues. Four in five adults complain of digital eye strain. The issue is a direct result of extended computer and smartphone usage, and prolonged exposure to high-energy blue light.
According to Nielsen data, we spend over 11 hours of our day on smartphones, tablets, or computer displays. This increased exposure to digital light can impact our task productivity and cognitive performance.
Growing blue light exposure poses real risk to children’s eye health
Throughout the day, our eyes pick up specific spectrums of light that are commonly known as visible light. At the extreme end of this range, high energy visible blue light is a particularly potent wavelength that is known to damage the cells of both the cornea and retina of the eye.
Today, almost 100 per cent of all laptops, tablets and handheld devices screens contain special light-emitting technologies called LEDs and OLEDs. They seek to replicate natural visible light, but, unfortunately, when it comes to damaging blue light, they amplify it.
Modern learning and education environments rely heavily on electronic devices. From interactive flat panels to mobile phones, tablets and laptop computers, students spend experience lengthy amounts of blue light exposure.
The pros and cons of blue light exposure
In small doses at appropriate times of the day, blue light can offer a range of benefits:
- Regulating natural wake and sleep cycles (the body’s circadian rhythm)
- Increasing attention and alertness
- Regulating and increasing energy levels
- Improving memory and promotion of positive moods
And while small doses of blue light can offer some benefits, there are many potential dangers:
- Chronic exposure to blue light has been linked to increased macular degeneration, as well as to retinal damage.
- Blurred vision.
- Dry, irritated eyes.
- Irritability and difficulty concentrating.
- Increased headaches and migraines, as well as physical and mental fatigue and eye strain.
- The most well-known hazard associated with blue light is melatonin suppression and significant sleep disruption.
- Exposure to blue light can also lead to an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Children are more susceptible to blue light
This amplification of blue light and the damage it can cause to eyes is particularly evident in young children. Because their lenses are not fully matured, more than 65 per cent of blue light can be transmitted to the back of their eyes.
Light intensity also changes by the inverse square of the distance. A child with shorter arms holding a tablet or phone twice as close will receive four times the intensity of light than an adult.
There is ample reason for concern
In the past screen, time for children was discretionary, largely up to the judgment and control of parents. That is no longer the case. At an increasingly younger age children are compelled to study, socialise and entertain themselves with electronic devices.
Eye care professionals are concerned at the increase in eye-related damage cases that pass through their surgeries. A growing body of evidence singles out blue light as a key area of concern for young children.
Many researchers and teachers, consider that it’s increasingly important to educate parents and students alike on the appropriate use of electronic devices in the evenings.
“Contrary to the belief that spending more time studying in the evening will benefit students’ learning, the opposite is actually closer to the truth,” says Ruby Wheeler, an educator at LiaHelp and Big Assignments.
“By staying up late to study, students delay the onset of sleep and the release of melatonin. Research into sleep has found that even small deficits in the amount of sleep that students get, can in fact hinder their memory and ability to learn effectively.”
Sources of blue light in classrooms
Most modern electronic devices in use today, including those used by schools and colleges, rely on LED technology. LED bulbs are considered a better choice for the environment and are being increasingly used to provide indoor lighting, including in classrooms.
Similarly, there has been an increase in the use of electronic devices and screens utilised within classrooms. The bright white light used to backlight the displays on these devices is the result of LED technology and produces a large amount of blue light.
The increased exposure to screens and electronic devices in the evening makes it harder for students to get to sleep and results in them being more tired for the following day. As students continue to complete their homework until late in the evenings, this can cause an unhealthy and harmful cycle to begin, which becomes difficult to address over time.
How can schools help?
- Education – Educating students on the negative impact of prolonged exposure to blue light helps them understand the importance of reducing their exposure to blue light-emitting sources, particularly in the evenings.
- Digital time – Schools can reduce staff and students’ exposure to blue light by carefully considering and planning times for the use of technology. Where possible, prioritising use of screen and electronic devices in the morning would allow for the blue light exposure to prove beneficial, rather than harmful.
- Filters – Schools should ensure that the screens used in classrooms have appropriate filters and protection. The screen brightness levels on all devices should be appropriately adjusted and blue light filters should be available and applied.
- Natural light – Similarly, schools should aim to increase their access to natural light, especially in the afternoons, to reduce the amount of artificial lighting being used. This will not only promote a more positive atmosphere but will also stimulate the natural circadian rhythm and support teachers and students’ wellbeing and learning.
Adapt digital learning environments to helps] future generations see clearly
As digital classrooms become the norm in educational settings across Australia, it’s inevitable that students will experience greater exposure to blue light. However, through understanding of both the impacts and benefits of blue light, schools have the possibility to adapt their classrooms to utilise technology to promote learning and reduce the risk to the health of staff and students.
