Have you been bombarded by advertisements for blue light glasses? They’ll protect your eyes from all these evil digital screens, they say! They’ll help with your eye strain and sleep, they say!
Really now! Do blue light glasses actually work? Or is this all just a scam? Let’s get into it.
From the moment we wake up until we drift to sleep, glowing screens are our constant companions. According to DemandSage, the average person spends seven hours per day staring at screens, and 41% of teenagers log upwards of eight hours daily. Long workdays stuck at your computer, late-night scrolling sessions, and TV show binging are all habits that take a toll on eye health.
Blue light glasses have hit the market as an innovative solution for those who regularly view screens. These specialty glasses are designed to filter out blue light emissions from digital devices, offering a protective barrier for the eyes.
What started as more of a niche product offering has evolved into both a practical tool for eye health and a fashionable accessory. Today, more people are aware of the need to protect against blue light.
A lot of information on blue light and blue light glasses can be found online, but what do we really know about its effect on the eyes? We know medicine is ever-changing and new study data forces us to change our understanding and conclusions. Blue light is still being studied by researchers. Here’s what we know in now.
There appears to be a growing interest in “blue light.” As you see in the Google Trends graph below, search volume for the term has climbed steadily for years.
According to a 2018 Pew Research survey, in 2014, only 55% of Americans owned a smartphone. In 2018, the number reached 77%. The same survey reveals from 2013 to 2018 ownership of tablets in the U.S. rose from 34% to 53%.
You can see a correlation between ownership of digital devices and a curiosity about blue light.
