Do Blue Light Glasses Really work?
Amidst this whole pandemic everyone’s whole life has turned digital. This being said, we really have no idea how in the long term this could affect our vision as a population. Despite studies on this issue there is no conclusive evidence to show that blue light from screens can or will permanently damage our eyes.
However, one of humanity’s favorite personality traits is not believing in something unless we know for ourselves. So naturally, blue light glasses started trending during quarantine. Sales have been mostly targeted at the younger generation, who’s getting fed information on blue light glasses through different social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram.
With growing student populations increasingly at home, participating in online school means staring at screens for hours on end. Needless to say, this can lead to headaches, eye strain and lack of sleep. Blue light glasses were marketed as a great fix for those at home feeling this way, but do they really work?
Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA) students Elio Torres and Emmett Bowman-Grubbs opinions show inconclusive results.
“I bought the blue light glasses in the spring, predicting that I’d spend a lot of time looking at screens with online school and what not. After wearing them for a few weeks regularly, I just couldn’t bring myself to continue with them. I’m sure it helped in some ways, but it also gave me a steady headache whenever I took them off,” Elios said.
“It seems unhealthy for your eyes to have to keep adjusting to no glasses in most of everyday life, and then glasses in front of a screen. If it really has a long-term impact, I am inclined to say that it is worth it, but it’s just not for me,” he added.
Emmett Bowman-Grubbs, a junior instrumental major at FSSA said he chose to get blue light glasses because of the pandemic but didn’t think that they would actually make a difference. But he actually started noticing a difference.
“After having them for a while your eyes get less tired looking at the screen so I think they definitely work, but you have to wear them a lot,” Emmet said.
The ultimate conclusion is that it probably depends on the person. If you feel it does offer your eyes some pain alleviation, go for it. That being said, it’s important for anyone and everyone to take care of themselves during quarantine and if eye care is high on your list, blue light glasses may be your answer.
– by Simone Martel ’21