Let's talk about phones.

We all love them, but let's learn more about them, are they good or not?

Ok, so at the time when this post was made, our physics class was learning about blue light and how it's harmful and why. So let's dive deeper into what blue light actually does, how social media exposure can affect your mental health and your sleep.

I got them blue light blues

Is blue light killing your retina cells? Put quite simply- NO! It does not; there was a study done based off the hypothesis that blue light damaged the cells in your eyes and causes permanent blindness, so some scientists put some cells in a petri dish and exposed them to very high levels of blue light -like how bright your phone is when you turn it on under the covers at night but multiplied by a thousand- they found out that those cells died. But it turned out that the cells put in the petri dish weren't even eye cells but...CERVICAL. CANCER. CELLS. So, what you need to know is that our retina cells have pigments that help shield our eyes from blue light called Lutein and Zeaxanthin and they're like our bodies blue light filters, so it could be helpful along with the use of some blue light glasses- they can help if you get some that are good-quality.

Before, we could just find blue light from the sun, but now we have it from laptops, iPads, but the most common of all is the one we can carry around all day, every day: phones. So even though it doesn't cause blindness, it can contribute to insomnia (we talk about this in a post called 'Ah, sleep.') and using them in the mere minutes before bed can really mess up your sleep schedule and patterns.

So do you spend a few minutes on your phone before going to sleep? Maybe setting an alarm or watching a few reels or tiktoks? Well, have you noticed that you think you'll do this until you feel like falling asleep then turn it off? How many times did that happen hmm?

The reason why we find it hard to fall asleep after being on our phones is because of the blue light emissions from our screen, and we sometimes lie in bed with our bright blue screens a a few centimeters away from our eyes. Usually, when it gets darker outside, the lack of rays of blue light indicate to your brain to start releasing melatonin, a chemical that makes us feel tired; but when we're exposed to blue-light, melatonin production is suppressed and it seems like it's daytime to our brain and it signals that it's time to be awake. One study found that people who used devices before bed normally had disrupted and shorter REM sleep, and were -in general- less well rested and more irritable than those who read books. If you don't like reading, I would like to direct you towards an EVOLV3 talk one of our students did about books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zBnkUKZOL4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zBnkUKZOL4

Get into a cozy position- it's story time. A few months ago, a certain blogger *hint hint* would spend hours on their phone before 'going to bed' only to go back to the phone again until they felt sleepy. They'd often spend time doing last minute research for school projects, watching shows, but most often of all; scrolling through Instagram.

But it wasn't the fact that they were looking at social media that was disturbing their sleep, but the activity occurring on the account that was. When we see likes on our pictures and posts or a comment from someone complimenting your fit, it triggers another chemical in your brain: dopamine. This then associates the release of endorphins and feeling happy or excited with being on the phone, making it even harder to quit the device. Stopping this obsessive behavior is so challenging because it's engrained into our routines by now that even some adults struggle with it, so it's hundreds of times harder for kids or teens with because most of the time they lack the self-control.

So, what if you just take the phone away?

But don't go, I can hear your sighs of annoyance, trust me. I remember getting mad when my parents told me I couldn't have my phone in the room when I was sleeping and that it was to be in the same room they were in at all times. It was the perfect example of, "Oh you're tired again this morning? It's because your on that phone all the time." *silent rage*

But, in hindsight, that's probably one of the few, of the 'Oh you can't....? It's because you're on that phone all the time.' that were true.

So a recommendation from sleep researchers, parents, teachers, and me, is to keep your phone in a different room while you sleep, and if absolutely necessary to use your phone or any devices before bedtime please make an investment in some good-quality blue light glasses. Plus, read a book for the twenty minutes -or more if you took something away from the talk- before going to sleep. To improve your sleep, and to make your English teacher happy ;)

Social media

Let's just keep in mind that social media isn't a 100% a bad thing; but that doesn't mean it's 100% good either. It doesn't need a huge essay on the topic, we just need to weigh the pros and cons, there'll be some studies linked below on the topic. Here are some ways it's a positive thing:

• social media connects us

• it keeps us up to date

• gives us a good form of entertainment

• we can talk to our friends

• we can be creative

• it gives people an opportunity

And here are some ways it... isn't:

• we can compare ourselves to things that aren't always real

• it provides a platform for cyber-bullying

• a 2019 study of more than 6,500 12-15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems.

• it can negatively affect body-image by idealizing a specific type of body and lead to more serious mental disorders

I interviewed some parents who had some children in years 6-11 and they said that they thought social media is a positive thing because it can help students connect with one another, learn about themselves, experiment and find out what they should and shouldn't do, and the thing they found was greatest was that it gave teens a chance to learn about the real world for themselves, giving them a sense of freedom, responsibility, and independence that most teens seek. But they thought that parents and kids should discuss and establish agreed terms as to how, when, and for what, kids would use social media.

But the kid should get a say in the matter. That's what's important.

So, in conclusion, kids should get a say as to how they use their devices and social media while parents establish reasonable boundaries, it's best to turn your devices off about an hour before bedtime with the yellow light -or night shift- mode on.

Some resources:

• https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/benefits-of-internet-and-social-media

• https://www.insider.com/guides/health/mental-health/how-social-media-affects-body-image#:~:text=Social%20media%20can%20negatively%20affect,healthy%20community%2C%20and%20take%20breaks

• https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/digital-life/social-media

• Episode 2 on 'Headspace Guide to sleep' called 'Putting your phone to sleep'

Keep this information in mind and see you next time,

-thestudentsblogger