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Smartphone apps that can help stressed teens
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New tech tools can help teens cope with stress, using what is often a teens favorite possession: a smartphone. - photo by Marsha Maxwell

New tech tools can help teens cope with stress, using what is often a teen’s favorite possession: a smartphone.

Teenagers in the U.S. are even more stressed than adults, and 82 percent of teenagers report feeling moderately or extremely stressed during the school year, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

While smartphones sometimes aggravate stress, especially when they interfere with sleep, creative developers are finding healthier ways to use the device. A variety of smartphone apps can help stressed out teens develop healthy coping habits.

Meditation

Mindfulness, or meditation, is one of the best ways to cope with stress, and more high schools are incorporating mindfulness training into the school day, according to a recent report by the Washington Post. Mindfulness expert Sarah Rudell Beach recommends these meditation apps for teens:

Stop, Breathe & Think

Take a Break!

Smiling Mind (This one features guided meditation in an Aussie accent.)

Sleeping

Lack of sleep is associated with surges in stress hormones, which for teens may predict later mental health problems, according to research by Northwestern University’s Emma Adam.

Apps can foster healthy sleep by playing soothing sounds as people drift off, tracking sleep cycles and sensing motion to wake them up at an optimal time. Here are a few of the best sleep apps (just make sure to turn off notifications and block the light emitted by the phone):

Sleep Genius

Sleep as Android

Sleep Cycle

Depression

For teens suffering not just from everyday stress but from clinical depression, mental health professionals are increasingly using apps to supplement therapy. The use of apps to help treat depression was recently endorsed by Britain’s National Health Service. Here are apps to try in conjunction with professional therapy. They are also useful for teens who are not clinically depressed but want to improve their moods:

Mood 24/7

MoodKit

Happy Habits

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
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.