With the pleasures and fantasies that smartphones bring, many people spend long hours staring at their phones.
In addition to having an impact on attention, too much screen time can also have another negative impact.
According to researchers from Oregon State University in the United States, the blue radiation emitted by smartphones can increase the rate at which someone ages and lead to neurodegeneration.
The research may be groundbreaking in its study of the physiological impact of smartphones on the human body. Publishing their research in the journal Frontiers in Aging, the researchers tested their theory on fruit flies; said that fruit flies were divided into two groups, one kept in constant darkness and the other exposed to blue light.
Those exposed to blue light were found to have lower levels of a chemical known as succinate, suggesting they had impaired energy production.
Additionally, flies under blue light also had lower glutamate levels; this chemical is essential for maintaining communication between cells, and it was the lack of it that the researchers said indicated neurodegeneration.
As a result of their findings, the scientists said it shows that prolonged exposure to blue light emitted by smartphones can increase the speed of aging.
The main author of the study Dr. Jadëiga Giebultoëicz said the study warned that this blue light could have a "harmful effect on a wide range of cells in our body" and that their study suggested "that avoiding excessive blue light exposure may have a counter to good in anti-aging strategy".