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50 percent of teens report feeling 'addicted' to their phones. Are they?
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Common Sense Media reported that some 50 percent of American teenagers feel "addicted" to their phones. - photo by Chandra Johnson
Chandra Johnson
Deseret News
Published: May 11, 2016, 6:53 PM
A new poll from Common Sense Media found that half of teens age 12-18 feel they are "addicted" to their phones.

"Watching my 8- and 10-year-olds spend endless amounts of time on iPads during spring break makes me worried about the day hopefully years from now when they have their own devices," CNN's Kelly Wallace worried in her column about the poll.

While the trend might be disturbing for some parents, science and news website Big Think argues that teen tech addiction isn't always comparable to true "addiction" as we think of it, i.e. drugs or alcohol.

"Addiction is commonly defined as something that interferes with you living your life," Big Think argued. "So when it comes to your teen's "addiction" to their cell phone, it probably isnt a true addiction, per se."

That's not to say phone use can't become a problem one U.K. study published back in 2012 found that 60 percent of U.K. teens felt "anxious" without their devices, citing that they'd rather live without TV or chocolate than their phones.

Yet if parents are concerned about their kids' technology habits, maybe they should look in the mirror first to fix the problem. The same poll found that many parents also felt addicted to their phones. More intimidating still was that 56 percent took big risks while using tech, such as texting while driving and their kids made a note of them doing it, potentially normalizing the behavior.

"We need to devote more time and research to understanding the impact of media use on our kids and then adjust our behavior accordingly," Northwestern University's Ellen Wartella told the International Business Times.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
Herb Scribner
Deseret News
Published: Aug 13, 2018, 1:39 PM
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.