In recent years, several studies have reported that early puberty has increased in very high proportion, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past decade, blue light (BL) sources, such as mobile phones and tablets, have increased across age groups. Especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, screen exposure also increased during childhood Studies across Europe and the United States have found that girls are entering puberty almost a year earlier than four decades ago.
Rising levels of obesity have been identified as a possible cause of early puberty in both sexes, but researchers now suggest that smartphones may also play a role.
Puberty in brief is a time when children undergo physical and hormonal changes that mark the transition to adulthood. It is a process that usually takes place between the ages of 10 and 14 for girls and 12 to 16 years for boys.
Is Puberty arriving as per nature’s call or is it affected drastically by the modern lifestyle??
Are the girls developing on their own or is there some kind of Artificial Intelligence that is harshly affecting them in their physical development and not psychologically?
Yes, we are talking about new technologies i.e., mobiles, tablets, laptops….
Research And Findings
Now, let me take you through these new technologies and how they are impacting children.
On 16 September 2022 at the 60th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting, it has been said through a press release that a longer time spent with these blue lights, brings early puberty and it also showed higher levels of some reproductive hormones, decreased levels of melatonin, and physical changes in their ovaries.
To investigate the effects of exposure to blue lights, the team carried out a Rat Model Experiment at the time of puberty onset.
3 groups (6 rats each) of female rats were taken as samples. The first group was exposed to natural conditions, 6 hours of exposure to blue light in the second group, and the third group to 12 hours of blue light exposure.
The first signs of puberty developed significantly earlier in both the groups exposed to blue light and also found decreased levels of melatonin and increased levels of specific reproductive hormones and physical changes in the ovarian tissue as well. In groups with 12 hours of blue-light exposure, some signs of cell damage and inflammation in ovaries are also been seen in rats.
Researcher Dr. Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu (Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey) added: The more the exposure, the earlier the onset…
In general, melatonin level rises in the evenings which is readying the body for sleep but because of the blue light exposure reduces melatonin levels and interrupt this process, and hampers sound sleep.
Since damage to cells and inflammatory ramifications associated with the exposure to blue light can cause repercussions in long term and so is very harmful to girls and can also create risks in future fertility and reproductive health.
Limitations In Research
As per researchers, there might be limitations in the study of rats although puberty in rats develops at the approximately same stage as humans, assuming rats have a shorter lifespan. Hormone level and ovulation changes in rats during puberty are also almost comparable to those that take place in humans.
“Since this was a rat study, we cannot be certain that these results will be replicated in children, but these data suggest exposure to blue light may be considered a risk factor for early onset of puberty”, the researcher cautions.
Scope For Future Research
The research team plans to study the inflammatory and cellular damage effects detected after prolonged exposure to blue light, as this can have long-term effects on reproductive health and fertility.
They will also examine the potential of a mobile device’s blue light-reducing “night light” feature to reduce its exposure.
Using a mobile device that emits blue light was previously thought to disrupt children’s sleep patterns, but current findings suggest there may be additional dangers to fetal development and the ability for future reproduction.
The results highlight the need for further research into the health effects of blue light exposure, particularly the impact on hormone levels and the onset of puberty.
Criticism And Perspectives
Many Scientists have criticized new research that claims excessive smartphone use may be linked to an early onset of puberty.
The unpublished, under-reviewed study, promoted by a press release filled with wild speculation, provides a perfect case study of disinformation in science.
As Amy Orben of the University of Cambridge explains, this type of blue exposure is not the same as exposure from a smartphone or tablet screen. So, any translation for humans is unjustified here.
Kevin McConway, an Open University statistician, echoed Orben’s concerns.
Pete Etchells, professor of science and science communication at Bath Spa University, said that unpublished, underexplored, and unreviewed research should be treated with caution in the media if it is to be reported in the news.
Way Forward
New research has undoubtedly made some interesting revelations about smartphone use and its links to children’s health.
Dr. Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu adds: Although inconclusive, we recommend minimizing the use of blue light-emitting devices in pre-pubertal children, especially in the evening, when exposure may have the greatest impact on hormones.
