Blue Light Glasses: Are They Worth the Investment?

“Have you gotten bluelight glasses for your kids yet? Those glasses are a wise investment and will prevent vision and health problems. You have to get them for your child since they sit at their computers all day for virtual school.” This is a common conversation in many households today. Considering our computerized lifestyle, an increasing number of people have started to invest in blue light blocking glasses. In fact, Zenni, an optical company, has seen a significant increase of 60% each year over the last two years for its customers purchasing blue light blocking glasses (Ellis, 2021). But are these glasses truly beneficial to reducing blue light exposure and to our overall health? 

Blue light is associated with 380 to 500 nanometer frequencies of light in the visible spectrum and these forms of light have been observed in electronic devices, energy-efficient light bulbs and ultraviolet rays from the sun (UC Davis Health, 2019). Recently, there has been a significant amount of research done into this form of high-energy light. Scientists have found that blue light harms our circadian rhythm (Vimont & Khurana, 2017). Essentially, it keeps us awake in the day, but this also means that using electronics or being exposed to blue light at night makes it more difficult to fall asleep. This is why some professionals recommend not using electronic devices for at least one hour before going to bed. Some even encourage not keeping your phone in your bedroom to ensure that blue light does not affect your circadian rhythm and your ability to sleep. However, if this is not possible for your lifestyle, ophthalmologists recommend investing in blue light glasses and wearing them at night for a few hours before you go to bed (Nemo, 2020). 

When we hear the word blue light, we think of the negative consequences of exposure. However, there are some benefits to being exposed to this light that go unnoticed. For example, this type of light increases one’s memory, cognitive abilities, vision, growth and development of the eyes (UC Davis Health, 2019). NVISION claims that it also increases one’s mood, attention span and helps one feel more refreshed and energized. Thus, blue light does not simply have negative consequences; it can also benefit individuals in ways that get ignored by advertising companies of blue light blocking glasses.  

At the same time, many professionals state that taking preventative measures against blue light can be more harmful than good. For instance, if people refrain from going outside to decrease their exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, a common source of bluelight, then they may develop conditions such as myopia and growth deficiencies (Vimont & Khurana, 2017). Instead of preventing exposure altogether, professionals suggest that individuals use a straightforward rule to protect themselves from blue light: this is the 20-20-20 rule. This involves looking 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes to give your eyes a break from the screen’s blue light (Vimont & Khurana, 2017). Some physicians, in fact, discourage the use of blue light glasses for preventative measures and instead recommend this simple 20-20-20 rule as blue light glasses’ benefits have not been determined scientifically in statistically significant ways yet. 

Now to the question of whether or not people should invest in blue light blocking glasses. Many ophthalmologists have not been advertising these glasses, as they are relatively new, and research is still being done on the benefits of blocking blue light. For instance, advertisers of blue light blocking glass companies claim that their glasses prevent digital eye strain that results from electronic devices. The symptoms of this strain include headaches, fatigue and blurred vision, but as the American Academy of Ophthalmology says, “’The symptoms of digital eye strain are linked to how we use our digital devices, not the blue light coming out of them”’ (Ellis, 2021). Essentially, these professionals are claiming that how we use our devices is what is potentially causing eye strain, not necessarily the blue light that electronic devices like smartphones and computers emit. Specifically, ophthalmologists claim that digital eye strain is caused by a few theories, such as not blinking as frequently when looking at screens and one’s glasses being apt only for printed materials, not for screen usage, as opposed to it being caused by blue light (Nemo, 2020). 

Furthermore, they argue that blue light existed before electronics and energy-efficient bulbs became a common sight. This light was just emitted naturally through the sun. In fact, the sun emits over 1,000 times the amount of blue light that our devices emit, which illustrates how blue light exposure is not a novel phenomenon solely caused by electronic devices and energy-efficient light bulbs (Nemo, 2020). Thus, effects of blue light are not simply caused by the high levels of device usage today and actually only make up a small portion of the total exposure that we have to blue light every day.  

Keeping all these factors in mind, we must refer back to the real professionals, not advertisers, when determining whether or not we should invest in these glasses and keep up-to- date on the research being done on the benefits of these glasses. There is no doubt that these glasses prevent overexposure to blue light, but they are not necessarily resolving the problems associated with digital eye strain. In fact, blue light-blocking glasses only prevent the side effects of blue light by 10.6% to 23.6% (UC Davis Health, 2019). To put this into perspective, influenza vaccinations reduce one’s chance of being diagnosed and having to go to the hospital for it by 40 to 60% (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Thus, the level of prevention that blue light blocking glasses give is not very significant, but there is no doubt that these glasses do prevent some level of exposure to blue light. However, as mentioned before, people considering investing in blue light glasses should consult with ophthalmologists and other professionals to make sure that they will benefit from these glasses. 

As Dr. Amir Mohsenin recommends, “‘Get an eye exam to make sure you don’t have any other issues with your eyes and ask your ophthalmologist what they recommend because your eyes train could be something else that needs actual treatment’” (Pierce, 2020). In the end, it comes down to whether you will personally benefit from the reduced exposure to blue light offered by these glasses. Since studies are still being conducted to determine the effectiveness of these glasses in their ability to protect from blue light as well as in the need to protect individuals from blue light sources like the sun’s ultraviolet rays, electronic screens and energy-efficient light sources, I personally would wait until researchers confirm whether or not these preventative measures are effective, especially since the harmful effects of these measures could potentially outweigh the possible benefits for any given individual. 

In the end, even though our lives are being dominated by electronic devices, one should consider all possible pros and cons before investing in these blue light blocking glasses, as opposed to simply going with the bandwagon of people who are investing in these glasses based on the claims of marketing companies. As the Cleveland Clinic recommends, “Your best bet is to save your money and practice good screen habits throughout the day instead. But blue light has been shown to affect sleep, so make it a habit to turn off all digital devices at least one hour before bed” (Cleveland Clinic, 2020). 

Works Cited 

Ellis, R. (2019, December 16). Pandemic screen time: Will blue light glasses help? Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210115/do-blue-light-glasses-work 

Hollowc2. (2020, September 17). Do blue light blocking glasses actually work? Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-blue-light-blocking-glasses-actually-work/ 

Galehouse, M., Pierce, S., & George, C. (2020, January 29). Debunking blue light glasses claims to focus on proven eye issues. Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/01/debunking-blue-light-glasses-claims-to-focus-on-proven-eye-issues/ 

Nemo, L. (2020, December 10). What Science Says About Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses. Retrieved March 1, 2021, from https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/what-science-says-about-blue-light-blocking-glasses 

NVISION. (n.d.). Facts, statistics & myths about 'blue light'. Retrieved March 02, 2021, from https://www.nvisioncenters.com/education/blue-light/ 

UC Davis Health, P. (2019). Is blue light from your cell phone, tv bad for your health? Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://health.ucdavis.edu/health-news/newsroom/is-blue-light-from-your-cell-phone-tv-bad-for-your-health/2019/05 

Vaccine effectiveness: How well do the flu vaccines work? (2020, December 16). Retrieved March 02, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm 

Vimont, C., & Khurana, R. (2018, October 18). Should you be worried about blue light? Retrieved March 01, 2021, from https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/should-you-be-worried-about-blue-light