In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, forcing people around the globe to both stay at home and work from home. With little more to do, people have turned to their television, computer, and cellphone screens for everything from school/work to entertainment. With such a significant increase in screen time for the average adult, how is this affecting our health and what are ways in which we can reduce the negative effects of too much screen time?

Blue light blocking glasses have become a popular consumer product during the COVID-19 pandemic since Americans are becoming more concerned that the blue light from their digital screens may be harming their eyes. Marketing has become very strong for these types of glasses despite the limited scientific research proving the positive health benefits that blue light glasses provide. 

Blue light is a short wavelength, high energy light that is emitted from digital screens and naturally from the sun. According to Harvard Health Publishing, blue light can be beneficial during the daytime because it can help boost attention and mood, but seems most disruptive at night by interfering with the circadian rhythm and suppressing melatonin secretion, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Even though blue light has a more powerful effect, any light has been shown to have similar effects on a person at night. Therefore, sleep can be improved without the need for blue light blocking glasses by not using electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed, as recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.

As for during the day, most experts say that there’s no evidence that blue light exposure harms the eyes and blue light-blocking glasses are essentially useless. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blue light from digital screens have never been shown to cause any harm to our eyes and will not lead to eye disease (as opposed to overexposure of UV rays from the sun which can raise the risk of eye disease). Furthermore, digital eye strain is not caused by blue light but rather linked to the way that we use our digital eye strain.

Some symptoms that have been associated with digital eye strain include dry eyes, blurry vision, tearing or watery eyes, and headache. As recommended by the AAO, ways in which you can reduce eye strain include:

• 20-20-20 Rule: Every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds to give eyes a chance to reset themselves.

• Use artificial tears: Use artificial tears to help with dryness & discomfort. 

• Adjust your seat: Sit about 25 inches from your computer screen and position your height so you are looking slightly downward at it.

• Reduce glare and brightness: Use a matte screen filter on your device to reduce glare. Adjust the brightness and contrast of your screen.

• Wear eyeglasses: Wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses when working on the computer for longer periods to decrease dryness and irritation.

• Use larger print: Larger print on your screens can help to not strain your eyes.

• Blink: Our “blink rate” is cut in half when staring at screens, so remember to blink frequently!

As our lives become more focused around digital screens, it has become increasingly important to begin healthy habits concerning our screen time as early as possible in order to prevent many of the negative symptoms associated with increased screen time. These are quick and easy changes that can easily be implemented into our everyday lives without having to spend money on products such as blue light blocking glasses. Our eyes, and most importantly our overall health, can only benefit from turning these suggestions into habits in our everyday routines.