The Blue Light Emanating From Your Smartphone Could Ruin Your Eyes

We already know that the blue light from our devices is a major contributor to insomnia. Now, a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that our ubiquitous screens pose an even more insidious threat. As Business Insider reports, looking at blue light all day can speed up the process that causes blindness.

For the study, researchers from the University of Toledo shined blue light—the same kind that emanates from smartphones, laptops, and tablets—directly onto eye cells. They found that the light transformed retinal molecules in the eye's photoreceptors into molecules that were toxic to the cells around them. The new, mutated retinal dissolved the membranes of nearby photoreceptor cells, ultimately killing them. In other words: Blue light can cause serious damage to the eyes.

Macular degeneration is what happens when photoreceptor cells in the eyes break down, as was the case in the researchers' blue light experiment. Unlike other some cells, photoreceptor cells in the retina can't regenerate, so if enough of them die, it can lead to permanent vision impairment or even blindness.

This process happens naturally to some people as they age, but blue light adds an unnatural element to the equation. If you spend enough time with your eyes locked to a screen, the quality of your vision could degrade much faster than it would otherwise.

The easiest way to avoid this outcome is to look at your phone less, which is easier said than done. A more realistic resolution to make is to avoid scrolling through apps or opening your computer in the dark.