BLOG: Changes in the blue light conversation – virtual reality

In continuing the discussion on how the conversation around blue light is evolving, it is important to consider future technologies and how they may impact care of our patients.

I remember sitting in the movie theater in 1984 watching The Terminator. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cyborg/terminator character would scan his surroundings and receive a computerized situation analysis along with suggestions for next steps. These scenes may have been our first glimpse into what augmented reality (AR) might look like.

Interestingly, the timing of this movie falls in the “innovation trigger” stage for something called “Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies.” According to this cycle, technology goes through 5 stages: the innovation trigger, the peak of inflated expectations, the trough of disillusionment, the slope of enlightenment and the plateau of productivity. AR and virtual reality (VR) are currently heading up the slope of enlightenment. So while AR and VR seem a bit futuristic, both technologies are arriving soon.

The question we need to ask as eye care providers is: What new challenges will AR and VR present us with?

The Google Glass Explorer program was a small test of AR technology. Glass put a digital screen at the spectacle plane, less than an inch from the eye. And it is coming back. A Google search reveals the tagline: “Thanks for exploring with us. The journey doesn't end here. You'll start to see future versions of Glass when they're ready (for now, no peeking).”

VR is here now. Google Cardboard allows for turning your smartphone into a VR device for less than $5. At first glance, it appears to be a fantastic educational tool, allowing a person to take a walk through a rain forest, the Grand Canyon, the Great Wall of China or even on the moon. Google has an “Expeditions Pioneer Program,” which they describe as, “Bringing immersive and educational virtual reality journeys to schools, teachers and students around the world.”

Sounds great, right? However, Cardboard places your smartphone screen a little less than 2 inches from your eyes, and that’s where the pure, simple, unbiased science of the future blue light conversation starts to get a little bit scary.

The website f.luxometer.com allows anyone to look at their digital device in terms of how usage may affect circadian rhythm. Plugging in iPhone 6 with the Cardboard setting for an 8-year-old states that the light intensity is 91% as bright as daylight; for a 35-year-old it is 89%. While this website is not for gauging possible retinal damage, consider the Inverse Square Law.

The intensity of light coming off a smartphone held at 2 inches is 64 times as great as when held at 16 inches. In other words, Google Cardboard will increase the amount of energy being transferred to the eye by a factor of 64 compared to that same smartphone being held 16 inches from the eye.

An 8-year-old has a large pupil with a pristine crystalline lens. Will children viewing Cardboard educational applications for a few hours per day a few times a week incur long-term retinal damage? How about work applications for Cardboard – will it affect an adult’s retinal health?

The last thing we need to do is create an adversarial relationship with device manufacturers. Much of this new technology has the potential to enrich the lives of many and unlock new levels of human potential. However, the conversation around the impact on humans of exposure to blue light will continue to evolve. Viewing digital devices for over half of our waking hours, as many of us do, will continue to cause concern in regard to retinal health, circadian rhythm disruption and digital eye strain. Accordingly, the leading edge of scientific research in this arena is not just focused on vision, but also increasingly on neurological function as well as overall health and well-being.

Our optometric education also needs to continue to keep pace with the latest research, transforming science into clinical application. As a profession, we need to stay vigilant for the protection of our patients. This conversation is just getting started; I hope you all join in.

References:

Google for Education. Expeditions: Take your students to places a school bus can’t.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYJdZeA9w4. Posted May 28, 2015.

McLellan C. AR and VR: The future of work and play? ZDNet.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/ar-and-vr-the-future-of-work-and-play/. Posted February 1, 2016.

Morgan GL. What do your arms have to do with digital eyestrain?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2_OW9fYsmI. Posted March 4, 2016.