Can using our phones & laptops accelerate aging?
Growing
up I always was told to not look at the computer or tv screen as it can be bad
for your eyes. It definitely is an issue how everyone is so reliant on
technology and we use it for hours every single day. I never knew that this
could have serious effects on other parts of the body like the brain. Recent studies are showing that wavelengths
produced from screens that we look at everyday can have an affect on how long
we live. It can simply be from just having the device on and not even looking
directly at it.
A group
of researchers at Oregon State University have been looking at how blue
wave-lengths can cause damage to cells in your brain and retinas. They looked
at Drosophila melanogaster which are
fruit flies and exposed them to blue LED lights for a 12-hour period. They
discovered that the flies were aging quicker than ones that were not exposed to
blue light or were kept in complete darkness. The flies exposed to the LED lights
had damage in both their brain and retinal cells. These flies also had affected
locomotion and were unable to perform normal activities such as climbing a
wall.
Jaga Giebultowicz who is a member of
the research group at OSU mentions how natural light is important for our body’s
circadian rhythm which controls brain activity, cell regeneration, etc. Tests
have shown that if we are exposed to too much artificial light it can have
negative effects on our sleep and circadian rhythm. Us humans are exposed to so
much blue light as LEDs emit a high amount. This group also tested blue light response
in the fruit flies and discovered that if the flies were able to avoid the blue
light then they chose to. This help to show the negative affects that too much
blue light can bring.
As there has not been much research
if this actually can increase aging in humans, us humans should try to reduce
the amount of blue light exposure we are getting. Some phones and laptops have
the ability to block blue light emission which I just found out. I never knew
this could be an issue but I definitely will be more cautious from now on when
I’m using technology. We need to do our best to protect our bodies and stay
healthy. I think that if more research was to be done and if more results come
out that show that blue light can have affects on humans, people will be more
cautious. If this issue is true and future computers, TVs, and phones are able
to be created without emitting blue light, it could have positive outcomes.
Posted by Matt Cayer (7)
This posted caught be by surprise, I was not aware that my computer or phone could be causing me to age quicker. I have had instances where I have spent hours on end working on my laptop and then all of the sudden I develop a migraine. So given what this research tells us, how do you suggest we reduce our screen time? Out of the majority of the general population, students spend a lot of time on computers or watching power points on screens. So what can be done to reduce our screen time without affecting our education?
ReplyDeletePosted by Nicholas Georgette
It's hard to really say how we can reduce our screen time especially with technology controlling so many lives. We rely on it for simply doing homework, taking notes, or even in our free time to search the web. I'm hoping that more research is done and that they are able to create devices that do not send out blue light. I read that some companies are trying to do this with phones but who knows how long it will take. Really hoping changes are made as we will all continue to use electronics.
DeletePosted by Matt Cayer
As another commenter already mentioned, this post truly shocked me when I first read through it. I knew that blue light was harmful in large quantities, especially to our eyes, but I never knew that this blue light could influence the aging process. Honestly, this study is particularly frightening as every one of us experiences a tremendous amount of blue light each and every day. It is an eerie feeling knowing that this technology, which is supposed to better our lives, could actually be disrupting our brain activity and cell regeneration. While you did say that there is little data surrounding how blue light may affect aging in humans, the implications resulting from this fruit fly study could be a deadly reminder of what may happen to us in the future. After reading this article I am truly rethinking how much time I should be spending around blue light and even ways I can minimize my exposure to it on a daily basis.
ReplyDeletePosted by James Levangie
This is very interesting to me, and came as a surprise. Growing up I also heard quite a bit about standing too close to TVs and that it was bad for your eyes. I have not heard that in a long time though, so I stopped really thinking about it, and it slipped my mind. It is interesting that a short spout of LED light can have such a profound effect on the fruit flies. The fact that they had such trouble with simple things like climbing walls is a bit alarming. That would suggest that quite a bit of brain damage occurred within the flies. This is a much more serious problem from light as compared to the disruption of circadian rhythm. Has any more research to this occurred in any mammals, or animals more closely related to humans?
ReplyDeletePosted by John Mariano
Unfortunately I haven't really seen other tests or research involving anything besides the fruit flies. I'm hoping that this topic is taken more serious which can lead to more tests being done. I do agree that the effect on the fruit flies can show brain damage which is scary to think of as we all use devices everyday. I still think people should take it seriously even if only fruit flies have been tested on. Definitely a scary topic that I wasn't as aware of.
DeletePosted by Matt Cayer
I have heard about how blue light from our screens can damage cells in the eyes. But had never thought it could cause premature aging, as well. I wonder what the researchers meant by "aging quicker," and if we will see this happen to ourselves in the near future. It is always a good idea to invest in glasses that filter out blue light, or change the settings on your devices to include some amount of orange light output. It is very hard to avoid for students, though. I don't think is it possible for us to avoid it completely at this point in time.
ReplyDeletePosted by Meagan Gustafson
I agree I really don't see us ever being able to completely. I never really heard of the glasses that filter out blue light until recently. I think thats really interesting and can be very beneficial. I think we do need to take this more serious and try to avoid it as much as possible. Even these glasses are a step in the right direction. Just hoping more people in the world will see this as an issue and for a company to try and make a change. It definitely will take some time but at least research is being done.
DeletePosted by Matt Cayer