By: Katelyn Weddle
For years, there has been research to explain how electronics emit blue light that affects people’s eyes and brain. Are these harmful waves being found in LED lights in students’ rooms?
LED strip lights, also known as TikTok lights, are rising in popularity among teenagers. Redwood student Paiten Blankenship, ‘22, says she enjoys LED lights because she loves the the way they light up her room, and “they have a fun vibe to them.”
Although these lights may be fun, what impact do they leave on their users? Rishi Singh MD did a study for the Cleveland Clinic explaining the effects LED lights have on the human eyes and brain.
Singh says “LEDs produce short-wave, high-energy blue light, which has been linked to biological and sleep disturbances.” These lights are similar to the blue lights emitted by electronics students use daily.
Blue lights have a significantly smaller wavelength then that of red lights. A study at Harvard says “While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully.” Melatonin is a hormone produced by the human brain to help people fall asleep.
LED strip lights have an abundance of colors, ranging from all of the colors in the rainbow, and many colors in between. This allows the user to change to a warmer color before bed, therefore preserving more melatonin.
“You see that blue light is even more than all other colors and this is the first reason that this value is bad for your sleep and for your eyes.”
Singh also talks about the blue light hazard. This is when, “an intense light source causes damage to the retina.” This is where the brightness and harsh colors come into play. The stronger the blue light is, the more a student will have to strain there eyes. Even at warmer temperatures, the brightness of a light might cause eye pain or sleep disturbances.
Many LED strip lights give their users the ability to change the brightness of colors. This can help the lights appear less harsh, therefore not affecting the eyes as much.
Overall, Singh says “there is no true, strong study to show either way that it is harmful or beneficial.” While there will be more research as the popularity in these lights rise, there is no specific evidence that the use of these lights are harmful to the human brain and eyes.
Katelyn Weddle
Katelyn Weddle '23 is a third year journalism student. She enjoys designing the Redwood Gigantea newspaper. Outside of writing, she is a Chief Editor for Redwood yearbook. You can reach her at katel.we3140@vusd.us
Tags: led lights, lights, redwood high school, studentlife
