Blue light emitted from digital devices such as smartphones and laptops can accelerate blindness. According to a study from University of Toledo, repeated exposure to the blue light from smartphones, laptops, tablets and the sun “transforms vital molecules in the eye’s retina into cell killers,” a press release from the university states. Ajith Karunarathne, co-author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said in the release that blue light harms the eyes. This constant exposure to blue light leads to age-related macular degeneration, the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. It is an incurable eye disease that leads to significant vision loss in a person’s 50s or 60s. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. According to the press release, photoreceptor cells in the retina require molecules called retinal to sense light and signal the brain. In order to see, Karunarathne says in the release, “you need a continuous supply of retinal molecules.” However, researchers discovered that blue light exposure causes retinal to trigger reactions in the eye, which generate poisonous chemical molecules in photoreceptor cells and kills them. To protect the eyes, Karunarathne recommends wearing sunglasses that can filter both UV and blue light and avoiding looking at digital devices in the dark.