Monday, December 29, 2014

All Those Great Gadget Gifts - Did You Get the Right Accessories?

'Tis the season - for fabulous gifts, new tech, and... eye fatigue? Check out this list of popular gifts from this just-past holiday season:
  • Xbox One
  • PS4
  • Apple iPhone 6 / 6S
  • Kindle Fire
  • Apple iPad

According to Gizmodo, 8 of the last 10 holiday buying seasons have featured at least one digital device among top-sellers (often several).  If you received one of these, or other popular digital gifts this year (or if your kids did!), best make sure you have a very important accessory - eye protection! These digital devices (along with our LED televisions, personal computers, tablets, readers, and dozens of other must-have items), emit high volumes of blue light, which has been linked to a stunning array of health issues, and can actually potentially damage vision.

A recent study by the Harvard Medical School has identified these blue light waves as major contributors to significant disruptions in sleep cycles, as well as diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Even more disturbing, researchers are linking disruptions in sleep cycles with the sharp increase in ADHD symptoms. The science indicates that the 7+ hours we spend daily gazing at these blue-light emitters can have a drastic impact on our well-being, and nobody really knows yet what the long-term cost of our digital lives will be. 

No matter which way you look at it, it's clear that protecting our eyes when we use digital devices can have significant benefits to our health. And don't forget the kids - they are exposed to unprecedented amounts of blue light, much earlier than their parents ever were. By the time they are 30, how much time will they have spent looking at smart phones, tablets, and computers?  Give your family a break - make sure you and your kids are wearing blue light filtering glasses whenever you access digital media. Chances are good, you'll be glad you did.



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