Blue Block: Analysis &

Recommendation of Investing in Blue

Light Protection

Report by:
Abdalla Suliman, Brady Morovitz, Cara Coco, Catherine Uribe

Proposed To:

Professor Tyesha McGilbrey, The Technical and Business Writing Class, Tarrant
County College

April 30, 2024

Table of contents

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….1
Introduction
Purpose………………………………………………………………………………….1
Problem………………………………………………………………………………….1
Discussion
Cost………………………………………………………………………………………2
Sleep Effects…………………………………………………………………………….4
Eye Strain………………………………………………………………………………..4
Mental Health…………………………………………………………………………...5
Health investment………………………………………………………………………5
Q&A…………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………7
Glossary…………………………………………………………………………………………9
Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………..10
List of illustrations

Figure 1: A figure illustrating the effects of blue light on the circadian rhythm as well as the
effects on the production of melatonin, the graph also points out the pros and cons of blue light
exposure between daytime and nighttime.

Figure 2: Price comparison of different brands of blue-light blocking glasses.

Abstract

Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum, which has the shortest wavelength and
the highest energy, and with the increased exposure due to the expanded usage of technological
devices, this exposure is leading to significant health issues that can and will affect college
students daily educational life, we wish to educate individuals about blue light and the possible
effects derived from it, as well as propose possible solutions such as blue-light blocking glasses.
With this report college students will be well informed and educated on blue-light and will know
ways to prevent it from interfering with their important daily college life.

Introduction

Purpose:
Our company’s purpose for this report is to introduce the need for blue light protection,
deduce the cost and impact, and provide possible solutions to this issue.

Problem:
With technological devices being more common than ever, the exposure to blue light has
increased dramatically as well, and not many people use protection against it. According to a
survey we’ve done, 80% of the students who responded to the survey knew about blue light, but
only 30% had protection against it. As college students try to further their education they can’t
avoid the increased amount of blue light they are exposed to, this increased exposure leads to
problems that affect the productivity and mood of the students.
Fig.1 Wong, Nikita A., and Hamed Bahmani. “A Review of the Current State of
Research on Artificial Blue Light Safety as it Applies to Digital Devices.”

Although blue light can help during the day, too much exposure to it can lead to
suppressed melatonin production, which in turn delays sleep therefore not having enough sleep
for the next day, affecting the mood and productivity of college students.

Discussion

Cost:
As of 2020, the market for blue light-blocking glasses/protection was around 24
million US dollars. It is expected to grow as the years progress. The more people find out about
blue light and its effects the more people start getting glass and screen protectors. The biggest
market for blue light glasses currently is prescriptions. Prescriptions account for about 65 percent
of the annual sales. The overall market is projected to keep growing as the times advance, and
with new technologies, it is becoming easier and cheaper to make blue light-blocking glasses.
 The whole point and feature of blue light-blocking films and glasses is to reduce the
amount of blue light that our eyes absorb. Blue light is a part of the visible light spectrum. The
blockers don't completely stop all blue light but make it so that it is less intense. Nowadays
people are often exposed to blue light from LEDs and screens. People who work in offices and
students are constantly exposed to more blue light than they should because of their jobs or
assigned tasks.
One of the big driving factors to blue light-blocking technology is the growing awareness
of the effect of blue light. There are many health and wellness effects that overexposure to blue
light can have. The increase of awareness has further increased the demand for this technology
and the leading companies are driving to increase their distribution and advancements in this
technology.
The Overall cost of blue light glasses is reasonably priced. When looking for a pair of
glasses you can get one for either very cheap if you're on a budget. You can also find nicer pairs
for a bit more if that is what you are looking for.

Fig.2 price comparison between different brands of blue-light-blocking glasses

Sleep Effects:
Blue light can have many effects on the body and mind of people who are
overexposed to it. One of the effects is that it can interrupt and mess with one circadian rhythm.
Blue light can halt the natural flow of your circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is the flow of wakefulness and tiredness that the human body goes
through. The Circadian rhythm of people is often in time with the sun and light exposure. So
without any interference, once the sun rises we would wake up and once it sets we would start to
get tired and eventually go to sleep.

Blue light can delay the part of the Circadian rhythm that tells us to get tired and go to
bed. When this happens it can throw the entire circadian rhythm out of alignment. It can be much
harder to fall asleep because your body still thinks that you should be up. And this is the same for
waking up but in reverse.

Dieter Kunz, director of the Sleep Research and Clinical Chronobiology research group
at charite-universitatsmedizin Berlin observes that “Maintaining synchronized circadian rhythms
is important to health and well-being” (Kunz 1), he also asserts that “A growing body of
evidence suggests that a desynchronization of circadian rhythms may play a role in various
tumoral diseases, diabetes, obesity, and depression”(Kunz 2), getting exposure to blue light in the
morning shifts the circadian rhythm earlier (phase advances), exposure during the mid-day
doesn’t affect the circadian rhythm much, while exposure during the evening shifts the circadian
rhythm later (phase delays). Studies claim that exposure to Blue light significantly affects the
sleep-wake cycle and sleep quality, it also affects the perceived sleep quantity and the perceived
sleep efficiency.

Blue light-blocking glass can help limit the shift in your circadian rhythm. In doing so it
can help one fall asleep much faster and stay asleep. As well as wake up feeling more refreshed.
Lack of sleep can do a lot to harm the body in more ways than just being tired as well.

Eye Strain:
As people spend more time on devices their eyes get exposed to more blue light.
This blue light can stress and strain and stress the eyes. When this happens it can cause a variety
of different side effects. Some of these can be headaches and eye aches as well as dizziness. As
of now, there don't seem to be any long-term effects.

These side effects can still impact daily life and operations. Then less exposure to the
blue light the less the side effects are. Blue light-blocking glass can help with the reduction of
blue light. A reason that blue light does this is the wavelength that blue light is. Blue light is very
close to Ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light can lead to many problems with eye health.

Mental Health: (Brady)

In this report, we bring up the circadian rhythm quite a lot. This is because this
rhythm is essential to determine how and what our bodies feel and act like. When blue light
affects our circadian rhythm it can cause major problems with a person's mood and mental state.

Excessive blue light as stated earlier causes sleep problems due to a messed up
circadian rhythm. Problems with sleep can cause major mood shifts and make a person more
agitated. Being more agitated can cause many problems in life and the strains on one's mental
health from all that going on can be a detriment. Limited the amount of blue light can help with
the mood shifts and the sleeplessness that can cause even more mental strife.

Health Investment: (Cara)

In May 2018, an international team under the Barcelona Institute for Global Health
conducted a study focusing on the correlation between nighttime blue light exposure and
prostate, bowel, and breast cancer development.

They studied 4,000 people located in different regions of Spain, observing that heavy
exposure to LED lighting doubles the risk of prostate cancer. This exposure also makes it 1.5
percent more likely to develop breast cancer. In a more recent study, led by Dr. Manolis
Kogevinas, they discovered that out of 2,000 subjects observed around blue light, 650 of them
developed or were diagnosed with bowel cancer.

As we have previously mentioned, blue light has been found to disrupt the body’s
circadian rhythm by suppressing melatonin levels in the body. A healthy sleep cycle and
melatonin level help the body rest, restore, and clean out any toxins, serving as an antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory.
 Without those needed functions provided during sleep, the body weakens, causing a
person to be more vulnerable to disease and illness. While these studies were partially focused on
blue light emitted from street lights and car lights, Dr. Kogevinas noted that with the amount of
research done around blue light is “still in its infancy, so much work is needed to provide sound,
evidence-based recommendations to prevent adverse outcomes” (Koevinas 1).

Questions:
Are there other ways of preventing eye strain from digital devices?

Yes. Practices like taking frequent breaks from looking at screens by using the
“20-20-20” rule, keeping a distance from the screen, and the use of artificial tears are ways of
reducing eye strain from digital devices. Implementing a bedtime routine or a mandated time to
shut off your device has been found to be beneficial. The adjusting of display settings like
brightness and glare helps with eye strain as well.

What about the blue light the Sun naturally emits?

Blue light from the sun has both benefits and risks. A moderate amount of blue light from
the sun is good, but overexposure can lead to health issues.

What about the health benefits of blue light?

Blue light during the daytime has been proven to have multiple health benefits, such as
strengthening memory and cognitive function, decreasing symptoms of seasonal depression,
helping with skin conditions, and much more. However, this is only during the day. Our bodies
are not naturally designed to absorb extended amounts of blue light before sleeping. Blue light
used at night interrupts the circadian rhythm.

We know that blue light over-exposure (especially during the nighttime) can be harmful,
but are blue light protection lenses effective in remedying this issue? Are there other
solutions that may be more accessible or viable?

The efficiency of blue light glasses (although this can be applied to most blue light glass
filters) is a widely debated topic among scientists and researchers.
 Many devices, such as Apple iPhones and laptops have a “Night Mode” display setting
which dims and filters the light emitting from the screen. This is easily accessible and free with
the device. This Night Mode is helpful with eyestrain and accessibility for many disabilities, but
this is not the only alternative to blue light protection filters. There are methods to reduce
eyestrain, such as the previously mentioned 20-20-20 method, as well as eye drops and a cut-off
time for electronic devices.

What about the reports that blue light glasses are ineffective?

Professor Mark Rosenfield of the State University of New York’s College of Optometry
affirmed in an interview with NPR that “blue-blocking filters have no significant effect on digital
eye strain’ (Rosenfield 1). Rosenfield does, however, note that blue light is disruptive to the
body’s daytime cycle, causing issues with the body’s circadian rhythm.
Rosenfield oversaw two studies in 2021 focused on the validity of blue light-blocking
glasses and whether they decrease eye strain. The first study provided a blue light filter which
blocked out 100% of blue light emittance. The subjects were asked to read from a tablet
computer for 30 minutes. The second study was on a “double-blind basis” (Rosenfield 2),
meaning the subjects were not informed of if they were handed a pair or blue light glasses or a
pair of clear lenses. The experimenter overseeing this distribution was also unaware of which
students received which glasses.
Just as the first study revealed, there was no significant change between those who wore
blue light glasses and those who wore plain white lenses.

Conclusion
In conclusion, while there are studies opposing the notion that blue light emittance
causes issues for the user, there are also studies that affirm the potential dangers of blue light
over-exposure. These studies emphasize that using a blue light-emitting device before bed
significantly affects an individual’s sleeping pattern and quality of sleep. What else could a tired
college student need more than a good night’s sleep? Adequate and efficient protection against
blue light must be easily available and accessible. In this project, our company aims to provide
this tool to students on the TCC Campus and warn them about the harmful effects of blue light
exposure.

Glossary
Blue Light- Part of the visible light spectrum. Blue light has the shortest wavelength and highest
energy.

Circadian Rhythm- The 24-hour internal clock in the brain that regulates cycles of alertness and
sleepiness by responding to light changes in the environment.
LEDs- an electronic device that emits light when a voltage is applied to it.

Melatonin- Hormone that the brain produces in response to darkness.

Visible Light Spectrum- Wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see.
These wavelengths are seen as the colors of the rainbow.

Works Cited

“Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Really Work?” NPR, 21 Feb. 2021,

www.npr.org/2021/02/21/969886124/do-blue-light-blocking-glasses-really-work.
Duncan, Stephanie. “How Blue Light Affects Your Eyes | What Is Blue Light?” Dr Tavel,

13 Sept. 2019, www.drtavel.com/blog/blue-light-affects-eyes.

"Exposure to mobile phone light at night raises risk of bowel cancer; Study finds blue

light emitted by devices can worsen health problems including colon cancer." Telegraph

Online, 30 July 2020, p. NA. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A631050460/OVIC?u=txshracd2560&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid

=bb728821. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

“Limiting Screen Use for One Week May Improve Teenagers’ Sleep -- Study; Reducing

Blue Light Exposure at Night May Decrease Fatigue and Mood Swings, Researchers

Find.” The Guardian [London, England] Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, 19 May

2019,

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“National Institute of General Medical Sciences.” National Institute of General Medical

Sciences (NIGMS), Sept. 2023,

www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx#:~:text=Study%

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ature%20also%20affect%20them.
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Magazine, 10 Dec. 2020,

www.discovermagazine.com/health/what-science-says-about-blue-light-blocking-glasses.

“Professor Mark Rosenfield Is Appointed New Editor-in-Chief of the College’s Research

Journal, OPO.” College of Optometrists, 17 Apr. 2024,

www.college-optometrists.org/news/2020/may/2020-05-professormarkrosenfieldisappoin

tednewedito.

“Should You Use Night Mode to Reduce Blue Light?” American Academy of

Ophthalmology, 7 Sept. 2019,

www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/should-you-use-night-mode-to-reduce-blue-light

Stanborough, Rebecca Joy. “What’s Blue Light, and How Does It Affect Our Eyes?”

Healthline, 24 Apr. 2023,

www.healthline.com/health/what-is-blue-light#risks-and-side-effects.

Tactics, Industry Oriented. Blue Light Blocking Glasses Market Size, Share, Growth |

Analysis Report, 2023-2030. 27 Sep. 2023,

www.linkedin.com/pulse/blue-light-blocking-glasses-market-size-1f.

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2020,

www.discovermagazine.com/health/what-science-says-about-blue-light-blocking-glasses.