Computer Glasses Claim To Protect Eyesight Are Selling Like Hotcakes, But They Probably Aren't Useful (businessinsider.in)

People are increasingly concerned that bright light -- especially "blue light" from computer screens -- is causing harm, making it a potentially dangerous public health issue. Eyewear and screen protector companies have been selling products they say can protect people from these harms. But are they really making any difference? From a report: We do know that blue light at night can interfere with sleep, causing a host of negative effects. But the evidence that the amount of light screen expose us to during the day is harmful is not really there. Furthermore, many experts think these products are unnecessary and could perhaps do more harm than good. [...] The research that companies selling blue-blocking products cite falls into three categories: animal studies, in vitro studies of retinal cells exposed to light, and studies of people exposed to outdoor light. [...] "I think it's largely hype, not science," says Dr. Richard Rosen, Director of Retina Services at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai and Ophthalmology Research Director at Icahn School of Medicine. "They want to sell it; they know people get uncomfortable staring at screens all day, so they say, it's because of this [blue light issue]." The report cites insight from several other doctors as well studies to make a case for why these glasses aren't useful.

Comments

My own dumb experience

[ausekilis]

Sitting in front of a computer for hours each day makes my eyes tired, so I routinely turn the brightness down to nothing. I put blue-blocker on my latest pair of glasses and Bam!, my sleep cycle is screwed up. Turns out blue light is really useful for stuff like your circadian rhythm. Now I only really use those glasses sparingly, and will make sure to take them off or look over them every few minutes.

Re:My own dumb experience

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, it is about selling, that and the placebo effect... if you believe it will work, then it does.

Reminds me of a stint I did on the semiconductor business. One of the engineers that I was interviewing for requirements went on and on about how a vendor of pens realized that semiconductor processes can get really screwed up by calcium.
They started marketing a line of "calcium free" pens, which sold at a premium and were used at semiconductor fabs globally.
Turns out that ink pens NEVER had calcium in them in the firt place, and they were just making more money selling the same pens as "calcium free"

Maybe making people aware of their sleeping habits has more to do with it than the glasses...

The whole "blue light thing" is pure BS.

[BarbaraHudson]

Humans don't need complete dark to sleep. We evolved on the African plains, and there's this big thing called the Moon that regularly lights up the night sky - and that light is pretty rich in blue when the moon is high in the sky. Don't take my word for it - go out some night and look.

Or take a nice lazy nap in the middle of the day with the sun shining bright. You can get a nice sunburn doing that at poolside. The bright light didn't keep you from falling asleep or you would have noticed you've cooked yourself.

We evolved for this sort of situation. If blue light were a problem, we'd have an inner eyelid to filter it out, like Vulcans, or have an adaptation where it's not a problem (which, all SciFi aside, is what really happened). But people will believe all sorts of crap rather than see what's literally in front of their eyes, because people WANT to experience the frisson that comes from "knowing something new that someone else doesn't" - same as gossip and fake news.