Staring at your phone could be ageing you faster, study reveals

Turns out your phone might be ageing you. Photo / 123rf

Spending too much time on your phone could be giving you wrinkles, according to a new study that's found blue light may speed up ageing.

Most of us spend our days exposed to blue light from phone, computer and TV screens each day - but now Oregon State University scientists have found that when fruit flies are exposed to it for 14 days straight, they show signs of impaired cell function and neurodegeneration, or ageing.

The biologist heading up the study, Dr Jadwiga Giebultowicz, warned that blue light could be having a "detrimental effect on a wide range of cells in our body", reports the Daily Mail.

Blue light could have a detrimental effect on our cells, a study has revealed. Photo / 123rf

"Our study suggests that avoidance of excessive blue light exposure may be a good anti-ageing strategy."

Existing research already shows that too much screen time can raise the risk of obesity and mental health issues. It can also strain the eyes and disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it harder to get to sleep at night.

However, many devices have in-built mechanisms allowing us to reduce the blue light they emit.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, saw scientists split fruit flies into two groups, with one group exposed to blue light for 10 or 14 days, while the second group was kept in the dark.

The flies were then killed and examined, and scientists found those exposed to the blue light had higher levels of the chemical succinate, suggesting impaired energy production.

They also had lower levels of glutamate, which helps communication between cells and indicates the start of neurodegeneration.

However, they were exposed to a much stronger blue light than that on our phones and laptops, for much longer than just a few hours like most of us.

But the scientists said the results show blue light could trigger cell changes that speed up ageing and could even cause "premature death".

Giebultowicz added: "LEDs have become the main illumination in display screens such as phones, desktops and TVs, as well as ambient lighting, so humans in advanced societies are exposed to blue light through LED lighting during most of their waking hours.

"The signaling chemicals in the cells of flies and humans are the same, so the there is potential for negative effects of blue light on humans."

She continued, "The results from this study suggests that future research involving human cells is needed to establish the extent to which human cells may show similar changes in metabolites involved in energy production in response to excessive exposure to blue light."

Estimates suggest that Kiwis spend up to two hours on their phones each day, while Americans spend a staggering five and a half hours scrolling per day.