SCREEN TIME IN THE AGE OF COVID: ARE WE HURTING OUR VISION?

During the last two years when many of us were working at home along with our children whose schools had instantly shifted to in-home instruction, we suddenly found ourselves looking at all kinds of screens for an average of almost 8 hours a day. Whether it was a computer, smartphone, tablet, television or some other electronic device, our eyes were glued to more and more screens, sometimes to two or more at the same time. One national survey recently reported that 67% of Americans use two or more devices at the same time, which I call "digital juggling" and which, due to our heavy reliance on screens for work, school, entertainment and everyday activities, has created a set of symptoms known as "digital eyestrain"(DES), a condition affecting over 60% of Americans today, which presents itself with blurry vision, eyestrain, dry eye, or at a more serious level with macular degeneration, cataracts and even sleep issues.

You may be familiar with the news stories about possible damage from the blue light emitted through the screens of our electronic devices. First of all, you may be asking: what exactly is blue light and how can it harm my eyes or vision? Simply put, blue light is one of several colors in the visible light spectrum, along with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Together, they make up the white light that we see when the sun--the main source of blue light--is shining. Fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) light bulbs also give off blue light. Each color in the visible light spectrum has a different wavelength and energy level. Blue light has shorter wavelengths and higher energy levels than other colors. Some research shows a link between eye damage and short-wave blue light with wavelengths between 415 and 455 nanometers. That's where the link to our devices may be of some concern, since most of the light from the LEDs used in our electronics (especially smartphones, TVs and tablets) has wavelengths between 400 and 490 nanometers. While more research is definitely needed, some studies have shown that blue light from digital screens can affect at least half of us, mostly resulting in dry eyes, blurred vision and eyestrain. 

However, blue light may also damage your retinas. That's called phototoxicity, and the amount of damage is related to the wavelength and exposure time. Animal studies show that even short exposure (a few minutes to a few hours) may be harmful. A filter that cuts 94% of blue light has been shown to lessen damage, however there is evidence that blue light could lead to permanent vision changes. Almost all blue light passes straight through to the back of your retina. Some research has shown blue light may increase the risk of macular degeneration, a disease of the retina. Research shows blue light exposure may lead to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One study found that blue light triggered the release of toxic molecules in photoreceptor cells causing damage that may lead to AMD. 

Screen time, especially at night, has also been linked to poor sleep. The blue light from electronic devices messes with your circadian rhythm, or sleep cycle. It signals your brain to wake up when it should be winding down. In one study, as little as 2 hours of exposure to blue light at night slowed or stopped release of the sleep hormone melatonin. Powering down your digital devices at least 3 hours before bedtime can help, especially with your children, whose eyes don't filter blue light as well as adults do, additionally raising their chances of developing obesity, nearsightedness and attention focusing issues. Nighttime exposure to blue light has also, in animal studies, been linked to depressive symptoms.

Despite the need for more research that can help us definitively address the potential damage that blue light can cause to our eyes, many news sources, health-and vision-related websites, and health organizations suggest a causal link between blue light exposure and retina damage. This has led to an interest in "blue blockers," which are special eyeglass lenses that filter out blue light in the same way UV lenses block ultraviolet light. Manufacturers of these lenses often make bold claims about using blue blockers to prevent retina damage, sometimes quoting studies that examined the effect of blue light on cellular eye tissue. However, a National Institutes of Health analysis of blue blockers research found NO SOLID EVIDENCE that these lenses improve vision or preserve retinal health. 

Still, too much time with digital devices can cause problems. Digital eyestrain often leads to dry eyes and puts an extra burden on the muscles that help the eye focus, leading to blurred vision. Also, the eyes do not blink as frequently when looking at digital devices, which causes faster disruption and evaporation of the film of tears that protects the surface of the eyes, leading to minor eye irritations such as burning and stinging.   

So, what can we do, especially now that our children are back in school and many of us are back in our offices, to maintain more comfortable vision and healthier eyes while using digital devices:

  1. Take frequent breaks while using digital devices. Use the 20/20/20 rule: For every 20 minutes of usage, look away for 20 seconds and focus on something (e.g., a soothing painting) 20 feet away.
  2. Use artificial tears or lubricant drops to relieve symptoms of dryness.
  3. Reduce overhead lighting to minimize screen glare.
  4. Keep your eyes an arm's distance away from the screen.
  5. Increase the text size on devices to see screen content more easily.
  6. Adjust the contrast on the screen so that the screen itself isn't too bright.


While the above tips may be helpful, they are more like putting a bandaid on a sore or a wound. To address the underlying problem, we must significantly reduce the amount of screen time we commit to all of our devices. As Matthew Broderick said at the end of the classic film, War Games, "The only way to win (avoid nuclear war, in the film) is not to play!"



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WARNING: ARE MUSK, KENNEDY, AND TRUMP IGNORING THE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES OF SLASHING PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • April 14, 2025
Recent budget cuts at the Health and Safety Science Services (HSSS) have sent shockwaves through the scientific and public health communities, threatening the very infrastructure designed to protect us from disease outbreaks, food contamination, and medical crises. These cuts have affected food inspectors, vaccine scientists, Alzheimer’s researchers, and experts studying bird flu, among others—positions that are essential to ensuring public safety and advancing critical medical research. The consequences of these decisions will be dire, potentially reversing years of progress and exposing society to increased health risks.

WARNING: IS ELON MUSK'S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY JEOPARDIZING AIR SAFETY?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • March 12, 2025
As Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DGE) pushes for sweeping reforms and cost-cutting across federal agencies, concerns are mounting over the impact on critical public safety roles. Among the most alarming areas affected is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where staff reductions may threaten the lives of millions of air travelers. The DGE, established with a mandate to streamline government operations and reduce bureaucratic waste, has come under fire for its aggressive downsizing tactics. Critics warn that essential safety personnel, including air traffic controllers, are being cut under the guise of efficiency, leaving the nation's airspace dangerously understaffed.

WARNING: WILL TRUMP'S SURGEON GENERAL SUPPORT IMPROVED ALCOHOL WARNING LABELS?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • February 11, 2025
Biden Administration former Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, on his way out of office, issued a Surgeon General's Advisory calling for new warnings on alcoholic beverages related to the cancer risk from consuming alcoholic beverages. Given that most individuals are unaware of the connection that consumption of alcoholic beverages can increase the risk for at least seven types of cancer, Murthy said in his advisory: "Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk from alcohol consumption and the Office of the Surgeon General's responsibility to inform the American public of the best available scientific evidence, the Surgeon General recommends an update to the Surgeon General's warning label for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning."

WARNING: TRUMP'S RE-ELECTION MEANS A DEREGULATORY NIGHTMARE FOR CONSUMERS

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • December 2, 2024
In my best-selling book, Murder, Inc.: How Unregulated Industry Kills or Injures Thousands of Americans Every Year...And What You Can Do About It , I propose a safety triad consisting of three components: manufacturers, regulators and consumers. All three must function properly in order to keep us safe. Manufacturers must produce and market safe (or safe as possible) products and warn us about any potential hazards so that we can make informed choices about whether or not to purchase their product and/or how to use it safely. Regulators , by imposing and implementing necessary rules and regulations, should hold manufacturers accountable for the above stated actions and to endure that they engage in "principled disclosure" by warning us about any potential hazards and dangers associated with their products. And, finally, Consumers , especially in the absence of well-meaning manufacturers or competent, well-intentioned regulators, must be highly diligent by researching products and learning about potential hazards prior to buying and/or using them. All three, manufacturers, regulators and consumers, must perform their jobs or the safety triad may fail to protect us and our loved ones. Think of a three-legged stool that distributes the weight of a person sitting on the stool, equally among the three legs. But what would happen if we leaned heavily to one side of the stool, essentially spreading the weight that was once borne by three legs to the two legs remaining braced to the floor. Unfortunately the third leg is no longer contributing to the stability of the stool, which may actually collapse because the two remaining legs may not be able to handle the amount of weight that was intended to be equally distributed among all three legs. 

WARNING: FDA RECOMMENDS REMOVING POPULAR DECONGESTANT FROM MARKET

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • November 15, 2024
If you or anyone in your family has used, uses or plans to use such over the counter (OTC) remedies for the flu or common cold as Theraflu, Robitussin, NyQuil, DayQuil, Mucinex, Sudafed or even some versions of Tylenol or Advil, you may want to read this newsletter very carefully.

WARNING: SOCIAL MEDIA IS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH HARMS FOR ADOLESCENTS

By Gerald Goldhaber • October 2, 2024
In an unprecedented, but, according to many social scientists and parents, a long overdue action, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, in a June editorial in the New York Times, called for a warning label to be placed on all social media platforms. In the words of the Surgeon General:

WARNING: DOES YOUR REFRIGERATOR CONTAIN LISTERIA?

By Gerald Goldhaber • September 5, 2024
If you are one of the millions of Americans who recently purchased one of several Boar's Head Deli Products, you may have bought a product containing deadly listeria bacteria. At least nine people have died and 57 have been hospitalized from a listeria outbreak linked to deli meat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In late July, Boar’s Head, a deli meat and cheese company, expanded a previously announced recall to include at least 7 million pounds of deli products the company says may have been contaminated by listeria amid a nationwide outbreak. The recall spans 71 products and includes meat meant to be sliced at retail delis along with prepackaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

WILL THE CHEVRON DECISION CREATE A DEREGULATORY NIGHTMARE FOR CONSUMERS?

By Gerald Goldhaber • August 6, 2024
In my best-selling book, Murder, Inc.: How Unregulated Industry Kills or Injures Thousands of Americans Every Year...And What You Can Do About It (Hartford, Ct.:PYP Press, 2020), I discuss the need for "principled disclosure" from corporations about potential hazards that could hurt or kill us. I also discuss the role we as consumers play by seeking information about those hazards and finally, the role various regulatory agencies must play to initiate and enforce meaningful regulations on industry so that they do, indeed, engage in "principled disclosure" (i.e., tell the truth). In order to carry out its mandate, any regulatory agency or department charged with the responsibility of protecting the general public or consumers or workers and so on, must be empowered to both set the safety and hazard warnings rules and take aggressive, impactful action when they are not followed. Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a landmark 6-3 vote last month, overturned a 60-year old decision, colloquially known as "Chevron", which has the potential to undermine our government's regulatory agencies' ability to hold corporations accountable. What is the Chevron Decision and how could it impact your safety and well-being? In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court ruled against energy giant, Chevron, who challenged the Clean-Air Act, and instructed lower courts to defer to federal agencies when laws passed by Congress are not crystal clear. The 40-year-old decision has been the basis for upholding thousands of regulations by dozens of federal agencies, but has long been a target of conservatives and business groups who argue that it grants too much power to the executive branch, or what some critics call the administrative state. In the decades following the ruling, Chevron has been a bedrock of modern administrative law, requiring judges to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of congressional statutes. But the current high court, with a 6-3 conservative majority has been increasingly skeptical of the powers of federal agencies. With a closely divided Congress, presidential administrations have increasingly turned to federal regulation to implement policy changes. Federal rules impact virtually every aspect of everyday life, from the food we eat and the cars we drive to the air we breathe and homes we live in. For example, the Biden administration has issued a whole host of new regulations on the environment, including restrictions from emissions at power plants and from vehicle tailpipes. Those actions and others could be opened up to legal challenges if judges are allowed to discount or disregard the expertise of the executive-branch agencies that put them into place. When you consider who was advocating for the overturn of Chevron, it does not bode well for consumers and their safety: groups representing the gun industry and other businesses such as tobacco, agriculture, timber and homebuilding, were among those pressing the justices to overturn the Chevron doctrine and weaken government regulation. Can you imagine the FDA being defanged by Chevron-influenced lawsuits to the point where tobacco could sell their products to teens or resume advertising on television, a practice banned by Congress since 1970. Or imagine OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations being stripped away that protect worker safety? Or a CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) challenged on its stringent toy regulations that are aimed at infant choking hazards? Or a Department of Agriculture no longer able to inspect meat with the rigor that industry now faces? Or a NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) no longer able to regulate the safety of our automobiles, especially now as we address the feasibility and safety of self-driving vehicles?

CAN DEMENTIA BE CURED: NEW DRUG WITH NEW WARNINGS

By Gerald Holdhaber • July 16, 2024
CNN recently featured its medical expert, neurologist Sanjay Gupta, narrating a very thorough documentary entitled "The Last Alzheimer's Patient" which, over a 5 year period, collected data on the latest research related to dementia, highlighting advances in new medications as well as in lifestyle changes, both of which offer promising developments that may, in some cases, reverse or, at least stop the advance of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. What is Alzheimer's Disease (AD)? According to the Yale School of Medicine, AD "is a progressive disorder that damages and destroys nerve cells in the brain. Over time, the disease leads to a gradual loss of cognitive functions, including the ability to remember, reason, use language, and recognize familiar places. It can also cause a range of behavioral changes."

WARNING: SUMMER FUN MAY LEAD TO SUMMER DANGERS!

By Gerald Goldhaber • June 6, 2024
The following story is from one of my cases. I have changed the names to protect my client's identity.
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