With distance learning, students are spending more time than ever on devices. Due to this increased screen time, a new trend is on the rise: blue light glasses. These glasses have a special protective tint to filter blue light, protecting your eyes.

Senior Katie Stephens wears her glasses almost every day and said that they prevent headaches throughout the day. “I totally recommend them. They’re fairly cheap if you get them on Amazon and they come in tons of different styles and colors,” said Stephens.

Blue light is known to cause soreness in eyes, tiredness, headaches, difficulty focusing, and retina damage. According to the Cleveland Health Clinic, in addition to the effect on the eyes, blue light also has a negative impact on your circadian rhythm. In theory, wearing blue light glasses prevents these ailments.

Senior Juan Pablo Garcia said, “Whenever I am on my computer I have them on, and I have 2 pairs in order to ensure that I always have them on when I’m looking at a screen. I believe they do work; they significantly reduce eyestrain and headaches. They are a good price, but most important[ly] they help.”

Attendance Technician Stephanie Sliwinski said that both she and her daughter, sophomore Noelle Sliwinski, use blue light glasses. Sliwinski felt a significant difference when using the glasses and was stunned at their cheap price, so she had her prescription built into them. She said they decrease her eye strain by “50%-70%” and that her eyes “feel more relaxed.”

Junior Lleyton Allen said, “They make my head feel so much better after class. I rarely have headaches and my eyes feel more open. Students are constantly sitting at their computers looking at a screen. These glasses will protect their eyes and make it easier to learn. If you find yourself having pounding headaches and not having the motivation to do school work after zoom sessions, really consider getting them.”

“Now that we’re always in front of our computers, you can see the toll it takes on our bodies. It’s harsh on our eyes, and blue light glasses take that away. It’s much easier now to spend extended periods of time online without feeling as tired,” said freshman Maureen Kang.

However, senior Katie Strohmeyer said that, while her glasses “were cheap and seem to work,” it could just be because of the placebo effect. “They seem good because we have to stare at screens all day and it claims to relieve that, but there isn’t really a way to actually tell. I think they’re kind of a fad and I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend them, but if they came up in conversation I would.”

According to the Cleveland Health Clinic’s website, there is not enough research to officially say that blue light glasses work. It also states that many of the negative effects of screens are not from the blue light but from computer vision syndrome (CVS), which includes eye strain and focus issues. Part of CVS is not blinking as much and focusing intently on something so close to your face. The article also includes some tips from Ophthalmologist Rishi Singh, MD that are known to be effective:

1. Practice the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. (This will help your eyes relax.)
2. Use eye drops throughout the day to help keep your eyes lubricated while you work at a computer.
3. Sit an arm’s length (about 25 inches) away from your screen. Most people sit too close to the computer and experience eye strain.