In recent years, blue light glasses have become a bit of a staple when going for that collegiate, clean girl look. From the thick brown frames, to the chunky gold earrings and of course, the slick back bun.
While the glasses can be used to elevate your outfit, do they actually protect your eyes?
NBC News says they don’t.
According to the article, blue light-blocking glasses don’t protect eyes or improve sleep, study finds. Three studies were conducted by lead author Laura Downie, an associate professor in optometry and vision sciences at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and her team. The results of the randomized controlled trials suggested that there isn’t enough evidence to conclude that blue-light glasses successfully relieve eye strain.
Why They Don’t Work
The article goes on to explain that this may be for two main reasons: screens don’t emit that much blue light in the first place, and the glasses typically only block out 10-25% of the light.
According to Healthline’s article, What’s Blue Light, and How Does It Affect Our Eyes? blue light is everywhere. Your phone, ipad and laptop aren’t the only sources of blue light. The sun actually emits more blue light than from any one device.
How To Prevent Eye Strain
When it comes to eye strain, Healthline’s article 8 Tips to Prevent Eye Strain encourages those staring at screens for prolonged periods of time to practice the 20-20-20 rule. This means that every 20 minutes you should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The article also suggests that you play around with your brightness until you find a setting that doesn’t overwork your eyes.
Until there’s more research to support blue light glasses, these tips may alleviate some of your eye strain symptoms.
Being Fashionable
Despite the glasses lack of efficacy, celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Kylie Jenner have promoted them in one way or another. Barrymore has her own line, and Jenner has posted pictures of herself wearing the frames on Instagram.
When scrolling TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest, it’s important to remain inquisitive about the products being presented in content. While I know it may be easy to quickly fall in love with the look of a product, or what you believe a product may convey about you, don’t forget to consider its science.
I believe to be truly chic, you must be informed. If you want to portray yourself as someone who’s knowledgeable, stylish, organized and intentional, it may be easier to exude that energy if you simply practice in your day-to-day life.
Fashion isn’t just about what you wear. It’s political, scientific, and a reflection of our cultural landscape. Rather than cosplaying as the stylish, collegiate girl, allow yourself the room to research and explore every piece in your closet or accessory box.
Who knows? You may start the next trend.