Should You Be Wearing Blue Light Glasses?

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Madison Yee, Staff Writer

“Blue light” is the new buzzword popping up all over social media. As we hunker down in our homes with online learning, most of us are in front of a screen almost 24/7. Due to this, blue light glasses have been the newest accessory influencers, celebrities, and even our peers have been wearing. Exposure to blue light is a major concern now that we are constantly on our digital devices. However, do they really work, and should you spend your hard-earned money on another accessory? 

Many companies such as Sojos Vision and J!NS Eyewear are now claiming that blue light glasses “guarantee” a way to help protect your eyes from the harsh lights emanating from your screens. If you didn’t know, technology has a way of releasing artificial blue light which many companies insist can cause digital eye strain. With the average teenager being on their screen for “more than seven hours per day,”

according to CNN, blue light can make your eyes dry while being a culprit for a loss of vision and a bad sleep schedule. As we have seen time and time again, most popular products come with controversy. Except currently, there is no completely “correct” answer. While some swear by their magic, others have found that they do not do all that is advertised.

Should you invest in some blue light glasses for yourself? The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AOO) says, “The symptoms of digital eye strain are linked to how we use our digital devices, not the blue light coming out of them.”

Like the AOO, many others in the medical community believe that the wonders of these glasses are false. Especially since there hasn’t been actual evidence of whether blue light can affect your eyes. So, why do people swear that they work? 

Freshman Skye Escobedo said, “I am prone to headaches, some of them come out of the blue but most of them are because of the amount of time I am on my devices… But, blue light glasses block so much of that light from my eyes and my headaches seem to just go away!” 

Many online sites like Zenni offer these blue light glasses at an affordable price, making it easy to purchase without regret. Plus, they serve as a fashionable item for you to wear!

On the other hand, if you really want to save money and the time from testing out this product, skip the glasses and follow the 20-20-20 rule. To do so, shift your eyes to focus on an object 20 feet away for around 20 seconds. Repeat this process every 20 minutes and you’ll reduce your eye strain without spending your cash. 

 

Photo courtesy of WEBMD.COM