Smartphones are now ubiquitous, and can be a very useful tool for learning and communication. There are however a number of potential issues from a wellbeing perspective, these (and how to minimise problems) will be considered in a few separate blogs. Here I want to focus on eye health.

LED/LCD/AMOLED screens are everywhere, (TV, desktop, laptop, tablet computers, smartphones, and gaming devices). We know that there are potential problems with overuse of these screens. Spending too much time staring at a screen can lead to eye discomfort, eyes feeling tired or strained, dry itchy eyes, difficulty focusing and headaches.

These screens also produce blue light which is associated with additional issues. And with phones, the closer proximity and length of time looking at them adds to the potential problems. There is emerging evidence of damage to retinal cells and increased risk of macular degeneration. It seems that these risks can be significantly increased by looking at your screen in the dark. Many people report using their screen device in bed at night. Of course there are multiple things to consider with this pattern of use, for now just from an eye health perspective, this might of particular concern.

Here are some things you can do to reduce eye problems.

• Pause now and again and look into the distance or stare out of the window
• Blink your eyes now and again
• Stretch your head and neck
• You should also take frequent short breaks away from the screen.
• Make sure you’re working in well-lit conditions but without light reflecting off the computer screen.
• Completely avoid using screens in the dark
• Use blue light reduction settings if available (but this doesn’t solve all the problems so don’t rely on this as your only measure)
• Reduce overall screen time

Sources

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/eye-safety-at-home-and-work/#

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21600300?report=abstract

www.preventblindness.org/sites/default/files/national/documents/fact_sheets/FS104_BlueLight_1.pdf

www.nature.com/articles/srep11325

www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/23/smartphone-users-temporarily-blinded-looking-screen-in-bed

utnews.utoledo.edu/index.php/08_08_2018/ut-chemists-discover-how-blue-light-speeds-blindness