What is Blue Light and How Can You Protect Your Eyes?

Nearly everyone uses a computer, smartphone, or tablet in some aspect of their daily lives. Some people spend significant amounts of time on one or more devices, which leads to a lot of eye stress for a huge portion of the population.

You might discover that sometimes, after several hours of working on your computer, your eyes feel dry and tired. This is a result of eye strain and blue light. But there is another issue caused by blue light, which causes long-term damage to your eyes. Let's discuss what blue light is and what you can do to protect your eyes.

All electronic devices—your smartphone, tablet, computer monitor, and flat-screen television—emit blue light, notes WebMD. But what is blue light? It is one of several colors in the visible light spectrum—along with the ROYGBIV acronym, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet—that you can see with your eyes.

The color spectrum creates the white light you detect when looking at the sun shining. This is the main source of blue light that produces high amounts of energy. For instance, LED and fluorescent light bulbs give off blue light.

Blue light's shorter wavelength is between 415-455 nanometers and higher energy level than other colors in the spectrum. As a result, it is most frequently used in daily devices to deliver images and movement in vivid detail.

While the blue light exposure you experience when looking at your mobile phone, tablet, or television is small compared to exposure to the sun, it is more of a concern over the long-term effects. Think about how much time you, your friends, and loved ones spend checking your messages and social media, playing games, watching videos, or reading the news. You'll probably quickly realize that the impact is cumulative.

Additionally, your face is typically only a foot or so away from your device, enhancing the intensity of the blue light. Combined with the amount of time you might spend looking at your screen in such close proximity could put you in the blue light danger zone.

Your eyes might stay healthy for several years, or you might not experience any issues, but the potential for eye damage exists. Unfortunately, you can't predict whether it will negatively affect your eyes. Finally, it's important to remember that children’s eyes absorb more blue light than adults from digital device screens.

Bluetech notes that extended blue light exposure can cause fatigue, eyestrain, headaches, and trouble sleeping. In addition, nearly all visible blue light passes through the cornea before it reaches the retina. As a result, it has the power to affect vision and possibly prematurely age your eyes.

Here is more information on a few prominent problems blue light can cause:

There are some benefits to blue light exposure in reasonable doses:

As with most things in life, moderation is the key to enjoying something that could otherwise lead to bad outcomes.

You can still enjoy using your favorite blue light emitting devices, but you need to use some extra caution to keep your eyes healthy for a lifetime. Here are some ways you can protect your eyes:

Regardless of the device you buy that features a blue light, do what you can to protect your vision, and take the time to buy the corresponding Upsie extended warranty to protect your device and any supplemental protective gear you buy for it. Upsie offers premium and comprehensive coverage for a range of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more.

For example, Upsie has a Smartphone Subscription Warranty that costs just $9.99 per month. With Upsie, your devices are safe from early wear, defects, and accidental damage. As a result, customers get the best protection at the best price.