Blue light

Blue light emitted from devices has proven to be bad for our health time and time again. Blue light has a short wavelength and much energy, so it is more stimulating for our brains. Our brain confuses this with daylight, making it difficult to sleep. IpRG cells in our eyes are sensitive to this light. These cells send signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in our brain. They regulate our circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm regulates the sleep cycle and influences various functions like hormone production, metabolism, etc. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Essentially, the SCN receives signals from ipRG cells and misinterprets them as daylight. To put it simply, it tells our body when to feel awake vs. sleepy. This can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. If your body does not produce melatonin, (because you are not sleeping due to blue light exposure), you could develop insomnia which means you will have difficulty with falling/staying asleep at night. This is why doctors encourage you to put your phone away at least an hour prior to the time you are expecting to go to bed at. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In case none of this made sense, here is a video that explains it well and more in depth;

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This is just one negative side effect of phone usage- but I'm sure as an avid user, you are aware. So here is a funny looking image of human evolution if this extreme usage of phones persists. (This is only a prediction). I'm unsure of how accurate the following image is but it's funny to look at. This image was circulating a couple of months back but everytime I overhear someone complaining about phone usage, I THINK OF MINDY. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Below is a video that consists of things to do instead of scrolling on your phone (might as well be somewhat productive on your phone);

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ sources: - National Institute of General Medical Sciences. "Circadian rhythms fact sheet." National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx. - Mayo Clinic Staff. "Circadian Rhythm: What is it and Why is it Important?" Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 24 Mar. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/circadian-rhythm/art-20047904. -Toll Free Forward. "The Future Looks Terrifying." Digital image. Mirror. Reach PLC, 5 Nov. 2021, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/terrifying-image-how-humans-evolve-28408214. -Leddynamics. “Understanding Circadian Rhythm and How Tuning LEDs Can Increase Health & Wellness.” Leddynamics, 28 June 2018, leddynamics.com/understanding-circadian-rhythm-and-how-tuning-leds-can-increase-health-wellness.