Where are all the blind people?

leebase · 01-16-2020, 02:14 AM

This post springs from the Hisense video of the first color eInk phone. The Hisense executive was touting the health benefits of eInk.

Health Benefits of eInk.

Come on folks. There are something like 4 billion smartphone users in the world spending HOURS AND HOURS a day looking at their phones. Throw in another billion or so tablet users...and the decades we have had of PC/laptop users staring hours a day at their screens...another billion.

How many billion watch tv?

Now mind you. I'm not commenting on those who say they don't find reading on an "non-reflective" device comfortable. You know who you are and you know it it feels to you.

But come on. If there were truly "health dangers" to looking at screens for hours and hours a day....we'd have had an epidemic of blindness already. Long long long ago.

binaryhermit · 01-16-2020, 02:15 AM

I don't know if it's a health danger per se, but I find it so much nicer to read on a frontlit eink screen than a smartphone.

Quoth · 01-16-2020, 07:27 AM

There is no proven health issue. Some people find ambient lit reading (paper or eink) less tiring than LCD or OLED, Plasma or CRT.

Shiny screens are known to cause headaches due to eye refocusing on the reflections. Moving reflections are the worst. Shiny is simply cheaper than high quality non-reflective and has the illusion of looking "better" in a showroom.

Non-reflective vs Shiny is more important than eInk vs anything else.

fjtorres · 01-16-2020, 07:40 AM

The only proven physical impact of screen viewing is eyestrain from the extended fixed focus of the eyes, which is why breaks are recommended to allow the eye muscles to reset. The same effect comes from extended longer distance focus (i.e., driving). Both are temporary. Lighting type has nothing to do with it. Lighting intensity has some effect.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20372397

4691mls · 01-16-2020, 11:59 AM

While my eyes prefer e-ink for long periods of reading (and I use a dedicated e-ink ereader for reading), I don't see the necessity (for me) of an e-ink phone. For my usage of my phone, the current technology is working.

ps67 · 01-16-2020, 01:29 PM

For reading I need eink (I don't care about eventual Health Benefits, I am not comfortable in reading otherwise), but a eink phone is not really important for me.

kyteflyer · 01-16-2020, 02:45 PM

I wouldnt mind an e-nk phone, but I’m hooked into the Apple ecosystem so I think that isnt going to happen. In the meantime, theres e-ink devices for reading when upright, and the phone for when I am in bed (cant hold my kindle/kobo/prs in one hand whilst lying down... arthritis of thumbs and fingers)

AnotherCat · 01-16-2020, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

Now mind you. I'm not commenting on those who say they don't find reading on an "non-reflective" device comfortable. You know who you are and you know it it feels to you...

Not only do they know who they are and how it feels to them but instead of addressing your question it seems they are all coming here to make sure that we all know who they are and how it feels to them.

fjtorres · 01-16-2020, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Not only do they know who they are and how it feels to them but instead of addressing your question it seems they are all coming here to make sure that we all know who they are and how it feels to them.

Not much else to do here.

4691mls · 01-16-2020, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Not only do they know who they are and how it feels to them but instead of addressing your question it seems they are all coming here to make sure that we all know who they are and how it feels to them.

People's bodies are different. One person may be able to eat a certain food with no problem while another person is deathly allergic to the same food.

I see no reason why there couldn't be differences in people's eyes so that some people are bothered by blue light, LCD, or whatever, while others are fine with it. (No, I'm not a scientist and admittedly this is just my opinion.)

Although I don't personally have a need for an e-ink phone at this point, I think it's great to have a variety of devices available. Maybe some people will find an e-ink phone easier on their eyes. Or maybe someone who works outside all day would like to have e-ink so they could read it more easily in bright sunlight.

jj2me · 01-16-2020, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The only proven physical impact of screen viewing is eyestrain from the extended fixed focus of the eyes, which is why breaks are recommended to allow the eye muscles to reset. The same effect comes from extended longer distance focus (i.e., driving). Both are temporary. Lighting type has nothing to do with it. Lighting intensity has some effect.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20372397

Interesting. Looking at a PC monitor in a dark room seems more uncomfortable than when in a lit room. Perhaps that's partially due to not looking away (the rest of the room is dark, what's to look at?)

hobnail · 01-16-2020, 07:06 PM

Look at how many years it took them to figure out that trans fats were the culprit for high blood cholesterol and heart disease. When did they figure that out, around the turn of the century? Prior to that they were saying it was from saturated fats, and prior to that they were saying it was from fats in general, and prior to that they were saying it was from by cholesterol (dietary).

Trans fats were introduced into our diets in the 1940s via the process of partial hydrogenation (full hydrogenation doesn't produce trans fats). Partial hydrogenation is used to turn vegetable oils, a liquid, into shortening, a semisolid or plastic. Butter and unadulterated lard (i.e., not partially hydrogenated) have a short shelf life compared to shortening so shortening has been the darling of the food industry for breads, crackers, cookies, etc.

This long lead time to figure out the problem is part of the reason the flat earthers believe that vaccinations cause autism or whatever it is they believe. "You just never can tell."

MGlitch · 01-16-2020, 10:07 PM

oh this topic again...

leebase · 01-16-2020, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Not only do they know who they are and how it feels to them but instead of addressing your question it seems they are all coming here to make sure that we all know who they are and how it feels to them.

You noticed that.

Folks....people have been staring at screens by the billions for decades. If there was a GENERAL health problem, you’d notice it.

You know....like the obesity epidemic. Something is going very wrong. People debate the causes....but the rates of obesity are exploding across the developed world such that SOMETHING is wrong.

No such thing with blindness. No eye devastation has been sweeping the world as Tv's, then computers and now smart phones and tablets have occupied billions of people's eyes.

The results are in. Billions of people across the globe spending hours a day looking at devices and no global eye disease pandemic.

Hundreds of millions play those first person shooter games with no problem. Me, I get motion sickness when I play them. It’s a real problem for me...but not a general problem for the population at large.

Read on a tablet, phone or eInk device depending on your own preference. There is just no eye health issue at play for the general public

John F · 01-17-2020, 06:58 AM

Personally, I follow the advice of taking steps to avoid eye strain while using display devices. I would encourage all people who use display devices too look into how to reduce eyestrain. I have had eyestrain from using display devices.

Unfortunately, when reading, I don't follow my own advice.

01-16-2020, 02:14 AM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,976 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	Where are all the blind people? This post springs from the Hisense video of the first color eInk phone. The Hisense executive was touting the health benefits of eInk. Health Benefits of eInk. Come on folks. There are something like 4 billion smartphone users in the world spending HOURS AND HOURS a day looking at their phones. Throw in another billion or so tablet users...and the decades we have had of PC/laptop users staring hours a day at their screens...another billion. How many billion watch tv? Now mind you. I'm not commenting on those who say they don't find reading on an "non-reflective" device comfortable. You know who you are and you know it it feels to you. But come on. If there were truly "health dangers" to looking at screens for hours and hours a day....we'd have had an epidemic of blindness already. Long long long ago.

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01-16-2020, 02:15 AM	#2
binaryhermit Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,732 Karma: 20469902 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Lockport, IL Device: Kindle PW4, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I don't know if it's a health danger per se, but I find it so much nicer to read on a frontlit eink screen than a smartphone.

01-16-2020, 07:27 AM	#3
Quoth Still reading Posts: 15,004 Karma: 111111255 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	There is no proven health issue. Some people find ambient lit reading (paper or eink) less tiring than LCD or OLED, Plasma or CRT. Shiny screens are known to cause headaches due to eye refocusing on the reflections. Moving reflections are the worst. Shiny is simply cheaper than high quality non-reflective and has the illusion of looking "better" in a showroom. Non-reflective vs Shiny is more important than eInk vs anything else.

01-16-2020, 07:40 AM	#4
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	The only proven physical impact of screen viewing is eyestrain from the extended fixed focus of the eyes, which is why breaks are recommended to allow the eye muscles to reset. The same effect comes from extended longer distance focus (i.e., driving). Both are temporary. Lighting type has nothing to do with it. Lighting intensity has some effect. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20372397

01-16-2020, 11:59 AM	#5
4691mls Wizard Posts: 2,776 Karma: 30081762 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: US Device: ALL DEVICES ARE STOCK: Kobo Clara, Tolino Shine 2, Sony PRS-T3, T1	While my eyes prefer e-ink for long periods of reading (and I use a dedicated e-ink ereader for reading), I don't see the necessity (for me) of an e-ink phone. For my usage of my phone, the current technology is working.

01-16-2020, 01:29 PM	#6
ps67 Guru Posts: 761 Karma: 7025686 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Italy Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Elipsa, Pocketbook Inkpad 4, Inkpad Color	For reading I need eink (I don't care about eventual Health Benefits, I am not comfortable in reading otherwise), but a eink phone is not really important for me.

01-16-2020, 02:45 PM	#7
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,845 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone 12 Mini	I wouldnt mind an e-nk phone, but I’m hooked into the Apple ecosystem so I think that isnt going to happen. In the meantime, theres e-ink devices for reading when upright, and the phone for when I am in bed (cant hold my kindle/kobo/prs in one hand whilst lying down... arthritis of thumbs and fingers)

01-16-2020, 07:06 PM	#12
hobnail Running with scissors Posts: 1,592 Karma: 14328510 Join Date: Nov 2019 Device: none	Look at how many years it took them to figure out that trans fats were the culprit for high blood cholesterol and heart disease. When did they figure that out, around the turn of the century? Prior to that they were saying it was from saturated fats, and prior to that they were saying it was from fats in general, and prior to that they were saying it was from by cholesterol (dietary). Trans fats were introduced into our diets in the 1940s via the process of partial hydrogenation (full hydrogenation doesn't produce trans fats). Partial hydrogenation is used to turn vegetable oils, a liquid, into shortening, a semisolid or plastic. Butter and unadulterated lard (i.e., not partially hydrogenated) have a short shelf life compared to shortening so shortening has been the darling of the food industry for breads, crackers, cookies, etc. This long lead time to figure out the problem is part of the reason the flat earthers believe that vaccinations cause autism or whatever it is they believe. "You just never can tell."

01-16-2020, 10:07 PM	#13
MGlitch Wizard Posts: 2,857 Karma: 22003124 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kobo Forma, Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2	oh this topic again...

01-17-2020, 06:58 AM	#15
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,006 Karma: 71261339 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Clara 2E	Personally, I follow the advice of taking steps to avoid eye strain while using display devices. I would encourage all people who use display devices too look into how to reduce eyestrain. I have had eyestrain from using display devices. Unfortunately, when reading, I don't follow my own advice.