Technology That may Actually Be Killing You

shivam vaish 20-Jul-2016 Image Source

The death beams of radiation emitting from our phones and irreversible addiction to our digital devices have brought threat to humans. All our devices emit a certain blue light. Since almost all our devices have black lighting and are much bigger now, the amount of blue light that hits our eyes and our body has increased manifold. This blue light is at a HEV (high energy visible) wavelength that directly enters the eye and also creates more flicker and glare than any other lights. It's also the main reason for eye strain, headaches as well as physical and mental fatigue. If you have been also rubbing your eyes more often nowadays as they feel very dry and have been waking up in the morning and feeling like sleeping for another 2 days, then it may just be the killer blue light at play!

Studies over the years have shown that bright, cool blue wave-length-based lights in work environments boost attention, reaction times and lift your mood. This trick is now used by almost everybody in the corporate world. Unfortunately, the very same blue light shining into our eyes all through the day and continuing long into the night can become disruptive. Prolonged exposure to blue light can cause retinal damage and slight degeneration, which can lead to permanent loss of vision. Harvard researchers have also linked this blue light to lowering the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. It also has close links to several types of cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and an increased risk of depression.

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It's time to wake up from the self-delusion that there isn't much we can do about it. The first part towards change is being mindful. Be aware that there is a harmful blue light beaming into our eyes, face and body every time you crank up a device. Reduce it as much as you can. The second critical factor is to reduce the difference between the brightness of the screen and your environment. Never use a device in total darkness and reduce the brightness on the screen to as low as possible. There are some apps and blue-light-reducing glasses as well that make the colours on your screen look warped.

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It is time we create a new technology headline for the future: the end of blue light in technology! We may one day be proud that we all started this right here.