Laptops, tablets and mobile phones have become our way of life. For many adults, it’s a given to spend 8+ hours each day on our laptops for our careers. Time spent commuting and waiting in the coffee line means time to scroll on our Instagram feeds, order Instacart, electronically sign waivers for our children’s extracurricular activities and send a few emojis to our close friends. In the evening, some of us go on a quest to strike a work/life balance and select that precious “do not disturb” button on our mobile phones. If you’re curious, you can aggregate your screen time amongst all of your devices and if you’re like me, you may be nearing 14hrs (holy moly!).
For our children, we set limits. Perhaps it’s that educational game in the morning before school, the emergency iPad during a family dinner out or, playing tetris waiting in line at the doctor. That was before. With Covid-19, the world and certainly the United States, has watched as e-learning has infiltrated our homes. We all are scrambling to set-up laptops, confirm zoom logins and schedule a host of activities so that our children may learn as effectively as possible. Screen time has grown exponentially overnight - and that is not forecasted to change in the near future.
Why should this concern you? Blue light.
Blue light is near-ultraviolet light emitted by smartphones, tablets, computer monitors and TVs. All devices you and your family have likely been seeing more of of late. Studies show that blue light can disrupt your sleep and may cause long-term retinal damage. Developing eyes, those of us under 16, are even more susceptible to blue light damage.
According to the Vision Impact Institute,
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Nearly 60% of Americans use digital devices for five or more hours each day
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76% of Americans look at their digital devices in the hour before going to sleep.
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Adults under 30 experience the highest rates of digital eye strain symptoms (73%) compared with other age groups
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80% of parents report being very or somewhat concerned about the impact of digital devices on their children
As I type this, I am wearing my blue light filtering glasses (in our new, limited color which shall be announced shortly) and haven’t had a headache in over 6 months - coincidentally, when I started wearing these glasses. Yes, in addition to helping preserve your sleep, wearing blue light filtering glasses also aids in keeping headaches at bay.
With my newly founded discipline, it was only prudent to equip my children with the same protection. My five year old daughter went from 15 minutes of screen time a day to four daily zoom classes, Facetime “playdates” and occasionally, cartoons so that mom can make dinner - well over 4 hours! We have matching pairs of blue light glasses and Thatcher feels “cool” when she wears hers like mom.
I will leave you with, “Got blue light”? If you shook your head no, try us out for you and your family. We have a 30 day happiness guarantee and trust me when I say that our lightweight, custom fitted glasses will make you forget you are wearing them. For those who have prescription needs, we offer blue light filtering glasses in Rx too.