Nearly 80 percent of American adults use digital devices for two or more hours every day and 59 percent say they experience digital eye strain. That’s according to the Vision Council, a member organization in the vision care industry.
FryEye
Our eyes can process high-energy visible (HEV) blue light. While this light naturally comes from the sun, these days we’re getting more exposure to blue light which is emitted by electronic devices. That blue light eye strain, known as FryEye, can cause eye irritation, tiredness, and dryness, among other symptoms.
Researchers are studying the effects of blue light on humans. Blue light naturally helps regulate our sleep cycles but short-term overexposure can impair a person’s sleep.
According to Sean Pate, brand communications officer for eyeglass company, Zenni Optical, “A lot of leading research has shown overexposure to blue light may lead not only to near-term symptoms like tired eyes, blurry vision, and headaches that we all typically get from staring at our computers too long, but also more serious issues like macular degeneration, a very serious eye condition.”
Taking regular tech breaks can help alleviate eye strain. The American Academy of Ophthalmologyrecommends using lubricating eye drops to keep eyes from drying out. They also suggest reducing eye strain by using their 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, shift your eyes to look at an object that’s at least 20 feet away for 20 or more seconds.
Eye care
Now gamers and tech consumers are choosing to wear eyeglasses with blue-blocker lenses to protect their eyes from blue light overload.
“It’s not just for people who wear glasses,” says Pate. “This is something for everybody. It’s like sunscreen for your eyes.”
Zenni works with Mitsui Chemicals of Japan that builds the blue light protection into the clear lens. Their signature Blokz™ blue-blocker lenses, which are designed for all-day wear, block blue light and provide maximum UV coverage to protect wearer’s eyes.
“We are really promoting eye protection, specifically as it goes to people really consuming digital light, such as the gamer community,” says Pate. “They are spending hours and hours and hours playing these games and are really focused on them without taking breaks.”
Pate wears the glasses and says he can stare at a computer screen all day without experiencing eye fatigue. He says these glasses can help people with their productivity because they won’t have lost time due to eyestrain irritability or other harmful side effects.
Growing market
A Market Study Report says the global market for blue light eyewear will grow to $27 million by 2024 and that be conservative. Zenni reports selling over one million pairs of Blokz lenses in 2019 alone. Prices for both non-prescription and prescription blue-light blocking glasses are getting more affordable too — the Zenni Blokz lenses are 80 percent less than a typical price point of a competitor. They’re functional and fashionable too. The glasses are available in a variety of styles too, including glow in the dark glasses.
Zenni is the official eyewear of The Golden Guardians (GGS), the Legends Championship Series (LCS) affiliate of the Golden State Warriors. League of Legends’ multiplayer online battle arena games are broadcast live to millions of fans in 18 different languages worldwide.
The protective eyewear helps reduce eye strain so gamers and other tech users can perform at a high level.
“If you’re sitting there playing for hours on end, you need to have something to give you relief,” says Pate, concluding, “Blue-light blocking glasses can help you play longer and stay more locked into your sport and performance.”