Introduction
The 21st century is the world of technology. It is a well-known fact that almost all components of human society are developing towards globalization. A vital part of this globalization concerns the technology process, by which nearly every aspect of the world is predominantly controlled and built. Technology has a considerable application in all aspects of the human mind, i.e., the way we think, live, study, and entertain ourselves, for example, watching movies or performing sports. The Internet, television, mobile phones, and tablets are among the different types of electronic devices that are closely associated with individuals in their daily activities. In addition, the portable computer such as a laptop or electronic storage devices such as the solid-state drive, or SSD, is also beneficial in modern society. But it has a significant impact on eye health
Prolonged eye exposure to continuous light emitted by electronic devices may cause many health consequences and affect short- and long-term eye health, such as eye disease, oxidative stress, and altered tissue structure and physiological function. Since prevention is always better than cure, reducing the time we spend in front of electronic devices is one of the most important ways to prevent these negative consequences. Hence, the harmful effects of electronic devices on eye health are a major concern in relevant industries and for all people around the world.
The impact of electronic devices on eye health
For most individuals, age-related changes in vision begin around age 40. Suddenly, it becomes challenging to focus on nearby objects, such as reading a book, a smartphone, or a computer. Even those who have never needed glasses for their entire life may need one to read. Physiological changes are responsible for 40s vision changes. The lens becomes less flexible, making it more challenging to shift focus to near vision. The popil’s function also deteriorates, as it does not expand as widely as it is used to admit light, and its response to light decreases, affecting one’s depth of field. As a result, one’s ability to adjust to quickly moving from objects at different distances is negatively affected. There is decreased accommodation to close focusing, exacerbating the problem, particularly when the light is dim.
How Electronic Devices Affect the Eye health
Some people read in high light. It is okay, but if they read under low light, they will feel eye strain after more than five minutes because of the problem of focus. For the people who read under low light, they read without much contrast. They think that it is easy to make their eyes focus clearly. It is correct because the size of the focus muscle, iris, and focusing lens can get more propofol to be relaxed. Since there is good relaxation, these muscles are so smooth. But it is difficult to make the ciliary muscle size smaller because of only tiny contracting. If the ciliary muscle contracts, the ciliary muscle size will decrease. It is important to note that the ciliary muscles are stimulated to contract when people focus on an object close to them, under low light or under poor focus. Under low light, the ciliary muscle makes a regular shearing movement because of static exponentially growing speed with time. The ciliary muscle produces oxygen radicals because the free radicals easily increase the ciliary muscle mitochondria. Since the oxygen radicals damage the actin filaments and network, it leads to constriction and irregularity, and the ciliary muscle is not able to produce the proper contractions. Thus, the ciliary muscle still wants to concentrate under low light or under poor focus. The static impulse is from the zonule to ciliary muscles by action potential.
Thus, the first has to decide to use the lighting when people pick up books, perform a task, or do any other jobs. The second has to decide to read and complete the task under proper focus. If the first does not, the iris sphincter muscle, sawtooth, antagonistic arrangement, correlated, and the focusing lens will become thinner and weaker, similar to diseases. The iris will recover slowly. If the second does not, almost read under low light or under poor focus, the ciliary muscles act weakly because of very little contraction for the relaxed size. The ciliary muscle contraction makes the current change trigger.
Read more: How Smart Devices Have Transformed Healthcare https://www.ihmorg.org/how-smart-devices-have-transformed-healthcare/
Blue Light Emission
Blue light is composed of light waves having a wavelength between 400-495 nm with higher energy and shorter wavelength than other light . Although blue light is abundant in natural sunlight, the widespread use of artificial sources rich in blue light (e.g., white-light LED) is a current health concern. Since these artificial sources emit a strong and abrupt increase in blue light energy compared to natural sources, they present a risk of damaging ocular tissue, particularly the retina. According to the double-edge sword theory of blue light, slight exposure can be beneficial by having a role in the maintenance of the physiological status of the body, such as stabilizing the mood, improving cognitive function, and sleep. However, excessive exposure can generate ROS and photochemical reaction products harmful to the ocular cells and contribute to the development of IRD diseases.
Screen Time and Eye Strain
As previously mentioned, research notes that young people often spend a large amount of time every day looking at digital screens, and that this can then lead to ‘digital eye strain’ if children do not take a suitable break from the screen. ‘Digital eye strain’ is a collection of minor issues related to near work such as eye fatigue, dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and pain in the neck and shoulders. The accepted way to reduce eye strain is to implement the 20/20/20 rule. This rule was formed in 1957: every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Proper lighting and correct posture are also important to lower eye strain, as is the 20/20/20 rule. A variety of in-app reminders, timer programs, and browser plugins have also been produced to remind users to practice the 20/20/20 every 20 minutes. Although there is an abundance of technology-based reminders to assist tech users in taking a break, research is yet to be carried out to verify its effectiveness in alleviating eye strain.
Another intervention encouraging tech users to practice the 20/20/20 rule are ‘visual ergonomics’. Visual ergonomics have the objective of preventing eye strain by designing workstations to suit the worker’s vision strength. They are designed to make the most of the situation in which the worker’s vision is strong naturally, rather than through the aid of spectacles or contact lenses. When these ergonomics are applied, it is suggested that normal vision can be guaranteed even though a worker should spend numerous hours a day looking at the computer screen. These visual ergonomics encourage children to feel better but at the same time concentrate more effectively on their work. Again, while many workplaces are proactive in implementing visual ergonomics, many primary schools are yet to take steps in adapting visual ergonomics, although all year levels are exposed to technology.
Conclusion
In conclusion, excessive use of electronic devices has negative effects on eye health. Continuous exposure to screens can lead to digital eye strain, dry eyes, and vision problems such as nearsightedness. Therefore, it is important to take preventive measures such as regular breaks, using appropriate lighting, and applying the 20-20-20 rule to reduce the impact of electronic devices on eye health and maintain visual comfort.
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AND MEDICINE ORGANIZATION IHMO
