The Shocking Truth About Blue Light: Your Kids’ Eyes Are at Risk!

The debate surrounding blue light’s impact on our health has been ongoing for years, with many attributing various technological ailments, from headaches to eye strain, to this particular wavelength. However, recent discussions are challenging the validity of these claims.

A recent article in The Washington Post suggests that the effectiveness of blue light glasses has been exaggerated, potentially due to profit-driven motives. The piece highlights that while major eyewear retailers offer protective coatings to block blue light, and numerous brands sell non-prescription blue light glasses on platforms like Amazon, the actual benefits may be minimal.

The article states, “There’s no doubt our eyes are suffering: Doctors have even coined a new term, ‘computer vision syndrome,’ for individuals experiencing discomfort from prolonged screen use. However, eye experts suggest that blue light is actually a minor contributor to these issues. Factors such as sunlight exposure, holding screens too close, and infrequent blinking pose greater risks to our visual comfort and health.”

While it’s true that blue light may not cause direct physical harm to the eyes, it can still affect our brains, potentially leading to headaches and disrupting sleep patterns. As such, blue light glasses and features like Apple’s “Night Shift” mode can still offer some benefits to users.

However, to fully address the impact of screens on our health, additional measures are necessary. Many eye care professionals recommend the 20-20-20 rule to alleviate eye strain: every 20 minutes, look at an object at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

For children, who are more susceptible to permanent damage from excessive screen time due to their developing visual systems, the guidelines are more stringent. Recent studies have linked increased screen time to a rise in nearsightedness among children.

Dr. Langis Michaud, a professor at Université de Montréal’s School of Optometry, explains, “The visual system of children from birth to two years old is not sufficiently developed to withstand the constant stimulation from screens.”

Experts recommend minimizing screen time for children and ensuring ample exposure to natural light to support proper visual development.

Familyguide previously reported on the increasing rates of myopia, a condition that can potentially lead to blindness:

As daily screen time increases, so do rates of myopia, a condition that can eventually result in vision loss.

“Prolonged focus on near objects, such as phones, screens, or books, causes our eyeballs to elongate, affecting the eye’s ability to bend light correctly. This elongation increases nearsightedness, known as myopia,” according to The Guardian.

Wired adds, “The more elongated the eyeball becomes, the worse vision gets.”

Eye surgeon Pei-Chang Wu became increasingly concerned about this trend as he began operating on younger patients. In 2016, Wu performed a scleral buckle surgery on a 14-year-old student from an elite high school in Kaohsiung. Another patient, a prominent programmer who had worked for Yahoo, lost vision in both eyes due to severe retinal detachments by age 29.

Professor Rupert Bourne from Anglia Ruskin University states, “It’s estimated that about half the global population will have myopia by 2050, making it a rapidly escalating health concern.”