A joke? A scam? Well, let’s look at the question this way:
Who should wear sunglasses?
Would you bother to answer that question? Probably not, because the vast majority of us know about the damaging effect of direct sun on our eyes and how to prevent it with eyewear.
So think about digital exposure:
– About 75 percent of all jobs in the U.S. rely on computers
– 82 percent of Americans frequently work with either a computer or a handheld device similar to a PDA
– 90 percent of school-age children have computer access at home or in school
– 54 million children in the United States use a computer at home or in school for at least four hours a day,
– Nearly 90 percent of those who use a computer at least 3 hours a day suffer vision problems associated with computer-related eye strain
(Sources: 2007 American Eye-Q™ survey, U.S. Census, Vision Council of America)
We all spend more time interacting with a digital screen than interacting with direct sunlight. But this has happened really, really quickly – in less than 20 years. Likewise the physical effects of this change is becoming clearer. But just as we came to recognize the need for sunglasses so will we come to use digital eyewear as a matter of course to reduce computer eye strain and prevent the damaging effects of digitalia.
This viewing of the never ending stream of digital information can lower visual performance and cause Digital Eye Fatigue (DEF). Symptoms of DEF include blurred vision, eye strain, dry eyes, double vision, light sensitivity and headaches. Left untreated the condition can progress into Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). CVS is caused by a combination of room lighting, glare, various ergonomic factors and monitor technology itself. (BTW the guy that came up with DEF as an acronym for a vision disorder has a cute sense of humor or the American Optometric Assoc. needs to get better sub editors).
Pixels are different for the eyes than print. Computer monitors continuously refresh, a process mostly undetected by the user, print, on the other hand, is static. Print is usually black characters with well-defined edges against a white background. Pixels are brightest at the center and diminish in intensity toward their edges which causes the eyes to strain to regain focus on the screen. Digital eyewear, (aka computer glasses, computer eye strain glasses etc), is a relatively simple way to reduce computer eye strain.
Will digital eyewear help prevent CVS?
Yes, according to the American Optometric Association, 70 to 75 percent of the 140 million Americans using computers would benefit from computer eyewear. Digital eyewear eliminates the constant refocusing effort that the eyes go through when viewing the screen, minimizes the adverse effects of artificial lighting, and reduces external symptoms of irritation or burning of the eyes, tearing, or watery eyes, dry eyes, and tired eyes.
Who should wear high-performance digital eyewear?
Anyone who spends time using computers or hand-held electronic devices such as blackberries and cell phones will benefit from wearing digital eyewear. This includes professionals, business travelers, students, gamers, programmers, creative personnel and office workers.