A few days ago, the topic "Study found that playing with mobile phones before going to bed hurts the eyes and shortens life span" attracted the attention of netizens. The origin of this statement was an English science and technology report, which introduced a newly published study in Nature Communications. Researchers from the Buck Institute on Aging in the United States found that dietary restriction can extend the lifespan of fruit flies . The specific mechanism is the activation of some rhythm genes. An unexpected discovery is that the expression of these rhythm genes is related to photoreceptors. Subsequently, research The researchers kept the fruit flies in a dark environment for a long time to reduce the stimulation of their visual cells by light, and as a result, the life span of the fruit flies was extended. The researchers believe that this suggests that stress and activation of photoreceptors can hinder the extension of Drosophila lifespan.
Simply looking at this conclusion is indeed worrying. In the modern living environment, everyone is inseparable from electronic products such as mobile phones and computers, and it is a habit of many people to check their mobile phones before going to bed at night. So, how to avoid eye damage caused by light stimulation? Will excessive light stimulation of the human eye really affect lifespan?
The mind is relaxed, and the eyes are "overworked"
What changes will happen to the
eyes when looking at the mobile phone at night?
Third, when there is insufficient light at night, the pupil will naturally dilate. If you have special anatomical structures such as a shallow anterior chamber and a narrow angle, long-term exposure to a dim environment may induce glaucoma , which manifests as sudden onset. Symptoms include decreased vision, severe eye swelling and pain, and even headache, nausea, and vomiting.
Eye protection mode cannot completely eliminate the impact of blue light
In addition to the impact on the eyes, one of the most common negative effects of looking at mobile phones at night is that it affects sleep. This principle is easy to explain. When you look at your mobile phone before going to bed, all the information transmitted to the brain will cause the cerebral cortex and sympathetic nerves to excite to varying degrees, thereby causing disorders of the autonomic nervous system and biological clock. Research has also proven that the blue light released by mobile phone screens inhibits the synthesis of melatonin (a hormone in the body that induces natural sleep), thereby aggravating sleep disorders such as difficulty falling asleep and waking up with frequent dreams, and reducing sleep quality.
Nowadays, many electronic products have launched an eye protection mode. By adjusting the color temperature of the screen, the screen becomes "yellow". The mobile phone uses software algorithms to highlight red and green light in the display, thereby reducing the output of blue light to a certain extent and increasing The comfort of looking at a mobile phone. However, don’t think that switching to eye protection mode will protect your eyes. On the one hand, the eye protection mode can only block a certain degree of blue light but not all of it. On the other hand, the screen in the eye protection mode will become relatively darker and the display contrast will also decrease relatively, making the eyes more likely to feel tired over time. . Therefore, the most effective way to protect your eyes is still to reduce the time you spend looking at electronic screens, rather than relying on the so-called eye protection mode.
There is no evidence that the theory of "harming life span"
The key to healthy use is to control the duration
For office workers, the key to healthy use of mobile phones is to control the length of time they use mobile phones. When using mobile phones to relax before going to bed, you need to remind yourself to stop using mobile phones in moderation and try not to exceed half an hour; and do not stare at mobile phones or computer screens for too long during the day. For a long time, if you feel your eyes are tired, stand up and move around, looking into the distance.
For the prevention and control of myopia in teenagers, there is a "20-20-20" rule, that is, after using your eyes at close range for 20 minutes, look 20 feet (about 6 meters) away for more than 20 seconds. We can also extend this rule to the time spent looking at electronic screens, which can greatly relieve eye fatigue and discomfort. Children should try not to use mobile phones, let alone watch electronic screens at night.
Elderly people need to pay special attention to not looking at mobile phones in a dark environment. Do not turn off indoor ambient lights to save power or worry about affecting family rest. At the same time, you should appropriately adjust the brightness of the mobile phone screen to match the brightness of the environment. In addition, pay attention to the posture when looking at the mobile phone, and do not lie down for a long time to avoid aggravating the damage to the neck, waist and other parts.
Finally, I would like to remind people who wear contact lenses to remember to take off their contact lenses before looking at their mobile phones before going to bed.If you accidentally fall asleep, wearing contact lenses all night may cause corneal epithelial damage, conjunctivitis and other problems.
In this era, all kinds of visual information are overwhelming, which brings huge challenges to eye care. 70% to 80% of the information humans obtain comes from vision, so this important sensory organ must be protected. If your eyes feel sore and tired after looking at electronic screens for a long time, this is an early warning signal from your body. We can try to change our eye habits, reduce the time we spend watching screens, and do a hot compress before going to bed at night, such as using a hot compress, which can help relax the eye nerves and muscles and relieve fatigue.
newspaper (author: Zhao Tong)
editor: Luo Jianing
