Your Phone Screen Could Be Giving You Under-Eye Wrinkles

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In a fast-paced modern society, we rely on mobile phones for almost every basic need and want. A smartphone is like a 21st-century genie's lamp: we can use it to communicate with people, check the news, find directions anywhere, make banking transfers, and kill boredom. According to App Annie's State of Mobile 2021 report, people spent 4.8 hours per day on their phones, which translates to nearly a third of their waking hours (via Daily Mail). "Mobile is the greatest of all time and the go-to device of the future," Theodore Krantz, CEO of App Annie told the publication.

However, too much of anything is not good. Overdependence on mobile phones can lead to decreased in-person interactions, a higher risk of getting into traffic accidents, and an increased likelihood of obsessive mobile phone use, Tech 21 Century warns. Numerous studies suggest that prolonged exposure to phone screens might also lead to the premature aging of skin — namely under-eye wrinkles. Most of us are no strangers to the correlation between frequent sun exposure and premature aging, which is why we are instructed to lather up with sunscreen before going outside. But is it likely that using a mobile phone might also expose us to a source of light that can damage our skin the same way that the sun does? Here are some insights from experts.

You may think that a little phone use is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it can take a toll on your skin over time. According to Murad Skincare, you are subjected to the same amount of energy spending 20 minutes in the sun as you are spending four eight-hour workdays in front of your computer. If you sit in front of your computer screens for eight hours per day, use your mobile phones to text, call, and doomscroll, and then Netflix and chill at home — imagine how much blue light you're exposed to on a daily basis.

Blue light from mobile phones or any digital source can damage the already delicate skin around your eyes, resulting in under-eye wrinkles. "Blue light is certainly suspected to cause damage to the skin though as it can induce oxidative stress, which in turn disrupts skin's barrier and damages cells," board-certified dermatologist Dr. Kim Nichols explained to InStyle. "This can then result in accelerated aging of the skin, discoloration, and increase the appearance of dark circles under the eyes."

Your under-eye area is not the only aspect of your health that bears the brunt of excessive screen time. A 2017 study in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that smartphone use might have an adverse impact on one's cognitive functioning and attention capacity.

Blue light from phone use can also mess with the body's internal process that regulates your sleep–wake cycle. For instance, texting or reading from your phone around bedtime can make it difficult for you to fall asleep, compromise your sleep quality, and make you tired throughout the following day. A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry examined smartphone usage among 1,043 people between the ages of 18 and 30. Findings revealed that those who reported excessive cellphone use also reported having bad sleep. This is most likely because using a smartphone right before bed has been found to delay the body's natural circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and wakefulness. Poor sleep quality or lack of sleep can make an adult's skin cells thinner, leading to wrinkles and noticeable dark circles under the eyes, per Insider.