Do blue light glasses prevent eye strain?

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)
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Sources:
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www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210...
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...
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[@lilblkrose]

Comment reminding you to blink

[@Diaphat]

You cheeky bastard.

[@TacComControl]

You are now blinking manually.

[@taalatchouf5427]

Yes. OCD.

[@Seriph7]

Great. Now i need to think for every blink. AGAIN.

[@tomrogue13]

I'll blink 182 times

[@loverofmyths]

Also turning down the brightness on the screen helps a lot. People have their brightness up WAY too high. I have mine down lower than most people I know and I have been having a better time on my phone or computer. Also dark mode has been an absolute god send Edit: SOME OF YOU GUYS NEED TO GET YOUR EYES CHECKED

[@AndrewMcColl]

Dark Mode is so good. It can be a shock when I have to use a website or program that doesn't use it.

[@loverofmyths]

@@AndrewMcColl ikr, if a site doesn't have it I turn my screen down a lot more than usual. It should be a requirement anyways because some people who have vision problems need dark mode to be able to see words better

[@catc8927]

Yeah, people are always commenting on how dim my screens are, but I find myself straining more when they’re too bright.

[@kangsate3459]

my monitor settings from factory brightness and contrast are 100 70 too high for me, i turn it down to 30 0 And force dark mode extension is a godsend Some few website broke but i can just turn it off for that website and turn on again on another website

[@grimreefer5159]

I was coming here to say the same thing.

[@kataseiko]

Our supervisor in the call center suggested that after every call, after finishing the paperwork, we should close our eyes and count to 30 before taking the next call. It definitely helped with stress and eye strain.

[@neurofiedyamato8763]

Thats a good supervisor

[@kataseiko]

@@neurofiedyamato8763 Yes, he was. He retired and we got a new supervisor from outside, not promoted from the team - tried to get "better times" on the calls of the team.. She caused most of the team to quit within the week.

[@johnantonopoulous6381]

Just a heads up for whoever does not know. most doctors suggest the 20 20 20 rule. Look 20 feet away for 20 sec every 20 min. this helped a lot more than my blue blocking glasses. Not saying that they do not help at all but more because the raise the contrast of text making it easier to look at. Also use dark mode with black backgrounds with white text.

[@icarusbinns3156]

Or… use the 30 1 3 method. After thirty minutes, toss one catnip infused pompom, and be immediately joined by three playful cats! I love these furry idiots

[@sunnyrainbowLTA]

While we didn't have a number rule, back in 2001, my middle school computer class teacher told us that every so often we needed to look away from our computer and try to focus our eyes on reading something in the distance. Usually in the process of trying to refocus our eyes (because the thing in the distance might temporarily look blurry) we will blink several times. I find it's easiest to do this on a task oriented basis. So, after each email read, look up or something similar.

[@Dudeman9339]

Preservative free eye drops, omega3 supplements, and a hot washcloth on the eyelids for 5 minutes work WONDERS. I have been struggling with Dry Eye Disease for the last 4 years. My vision started to blur because of it and it has not recovered fully. Take care of your eyeballs.

[@aylen7062]

6.1 20 20 in metric (? (had to look up how much it was in metres lol)

[@XplosivDS]

​@@aylen7062 Thanks

[@marcusnielson9098]

Oh thank you. I do some design as part of my job and need blue to make sure the colors are working. My dad told me to get some blue lenses and "they wouldn't impact my ability to see blue." I told him if you can still see blue the same with the glasses as without, they're probably not filtering out anything. Cause, you know, that's kind of how light works.

[@The_SOB_II]

It's amazing how many people have that misconception. Like, blue comes from blue light.... Dots forever.

[@malavoy1]

Only affects blue from actual blue frequencies of light. Blue caused by missing light (which is how reflected light works) will still be visible. Look at a color for a long period of time then close your eyes. The color you see for a moment will be the opposite color on the color wheel from what you were looking at.

[@areadenial2343]

​@@malavoy1 You know that blue objects appear so not just because of the missing wavelengths, but because of the *presence* of blue wavelengths, right? Otherwise it would just appear black...

[@illitero]

"Oh _dad_ !" (Pause for audience laughter)

[@malavoy1]

@@areadenial2343 Yes there is blue in it, as well as every other color except orange. It appears blue, not because there is blue light in it, but due to the way our brain perceives colors, hence the color wheel.

[@icandomath]

I didn't realize people felt blue light had an effect on eye strain. It is not for eye strain, but rather your circadian rhythm. Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it is day, so blue light from your screen late at night can upset your circadian rhythm. Blue light filters late in the evening may make it easier to fall asleep at night.

[@RomanNardone]

I would be to curious to see studies on whether blue light filters help your circadian rhythm and sleep

[@orangenostril]

I don't have the glasses or anything but after I set my screen to tint orange at night it was _super_ helpful

[@GrayRaceCat]

It doesn't matter what the specific use case is. If Blue Light Filters do not actually filter blue light, there is no benefit!

[@Smurfitysmurf559]

That's what I thought blue light did, so I have the filter on a timer every day at sundown, and I thought eye strain just came from lack of blinking because you're focusing on the screen so much. Blue light can also interfere with melatonin and almost completely negate the effects of small doses or even medium ones.

[@freyjablue.]

​@GrayRaceCat it does though. As someone with blue light filter lenses, you can literally see the difference by taking them off on a sunny day.

[@Shannara360]

Using blue light filters actually helped a lot with chronic migraines for me. Not sure if it was a placebo effect or not. But when I turn the light filters off on my screens they tend to hurt my eyes now.

[@AliCatGtz]

This

[@bawabrian]

Me too man... I started using blue light filter glasses to help with migraines because they were recommended by a friend, and I don't get chronic migraines anymore... A few days ago I forgot to bring my glasses with me and I was in a room with a lot of ceiling lights and I got tonnes of migraines for band practice. I usually spend 4 hours a day in this room, Monday to Thursday and I never get headaches when I have my glasses on. However, on the day that I forgot my glasses, I had a raging migraine... So albeit anecdotal proof, I would recommend glasses to help with migraines

[@androgenie13]

Yep. Me too. I was prescribed blue blocking eyeglasses to wear all the time for the same reason.

[@aazhie]

Those filters might be dimming your screen. Dark mode helps me more than any other filters, but redder tones feel less harsh on my eyes

[@angelapotter8084]

With classes and my homework moving online during the pandemic, I got headaches all the time. After I got blue light glasses it got significantly better. And I really don't think it was a placebo. I'd like to hear from a lot more studies before deciding whether or not to believe Hank on this one.

[@Omega_Orion]

While I will still get eye strain, I absolutely do use blue light blocking glasses to help prevent pain and migraines.

[@markholm7050]

I was having eye strain and dry eye problems several years ago. At the time, I was doing a fair amount of screen work. An ophthalmologist suggested that I was getting to the age where presbyopia was setting in, and though my distant vision was pretty good, I needed reading glasses, or prescription trifocals. He said that I was probably compensating for poor focus by squinting and that suppressed blinking, which leads to dry eye because blinking squeezes out tears and spreads them on the eyeball. So I got relatively weak reading glasses, right for screen distance, and my eyestrain and dryness cleared right up. Later, I got prescription trifocals. Those were great. The middle segment was just right for the screen.

[@AndreaCrisp]

This is exactly what is happening to me. Can't wait for my eye appointment!

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

I provide IT support for a bunch of vision scientists. When "blue blocker" monitors first hit the market I asked one what he thought, and he said it didn't make much sense to him. Glad to know he was right

[@Cheesepuff8]

Hank isn’t saying that blue light blocking isn’t good for you, he’s just saying that blue light doesn’t cause eye strain It still seems like blue light in the evenings/at night is bad for you/can make it harder to sleep Since at night there’s not much blue light we’ve likely evolved to not get much when it’s dark out But u can just turn on a red screen filter

[@Lemu_with_a_shirt]

​@@Cheesepuff8 I have no idea how true this is, because the person who told me this also said a lot of stuff that was just straight up false. I've been told by a health professional that night mode/amber/whatever your phone calls it is actually a bad idea to use at night, because your eyes expect there to be less light when it's yellow/red, and thus open your pupils wider. Again, she spouted a lot of nonsense, so it could be completely false, but an interesting idea.

[@MalloryKnox.]

I genuinely experience physical eye relief when I put my phone screen on warm mode

[@mysoulcalledlife]

Me too

[@Lily-ow5wm]

How do you do this

[@c4lmchor]

​@@Lily-ow5wmif you go into your control centre, you will find a "reading mode" option there which you can just click on and it will turn your screen a little yellowish and make it easier on your eyes. And if you can't find the settings, either google it or just go to the settings in your phone and search it up there.

[@Reece8u]

The placebo effect is a powerful thing

[@alyssam8550]

I have my phone set to turn on a blue light filter at 9pm, and if for whatever reason it turns off, or I turn off the lights earlier, I feel like I can't even look at my phone! No idea if it actually helps with sleep/circadian rhythm, but I definitely prefer to have it on at night regardless.

[@loverofmyths]

I do the same thing! I think it's because it also dims the screen more than just turning down the brightness. It also makes stuff less white, which is less bright overall

[@Vulcapyro]

These modes reduce the amount of blue light they emit which in turn reduces overall brightness. Also, the fuller spectrum of light, the closer the color temperature appears to natural sunlight, which has effects on sleepiness/wakefulness.

[@Geekosification]

@@Vulcapyro that has also been disproveven in a recent meta study. It's not the light from the screen, it's what you are doing in your screen.

[@readyforlol]

@@Geekosification Can you link the study ?

[@Cheesepuff8]

On iPhones you can find dyslexia colour filters in accessibility and can make it so they activate when u triple click the home button, so u can pick a red one and make it so u get a very red filter by triple clicking the home button

[@riverstein7251]

I got a blue light blocking coating on my prescription glasses and after wearing them for 2 years it honestly hurts if I take them off and try to perceive the full spectrum of light. Like if I put in contacts and walk in sunlight or look at a computer, it hurts a lot more than it should.

[@RaisonLychi]

My eyes were light sensitive before I got the filter on my glasses. I don't go out enough in bright daylight for my eyes to adjust to it properly. 😂

[@haileys5224]

My eyes are light sensitive, so I love the transition lenses. I’m too forgetful to have a pair of prescription sunglasses and regular glasses, and not great with contacts. The transition lenses are only annoying when I come into a dimly lit room from outside because they take a second to adjust.

[@Laurastar2009]

I think that's the key difference between light sensitivity and general eye strain from screens. The blue-light filter isn't a fix for lots of screen time, but rather an aid for light-sensitivity, regardless of source. For example, shopping centres (malls) were worse for me than computer screens in terms of light-induced headaches. I love my blue-light filter on my glasses, and couldn't go back now.

[@vivianloney8826]

That makes sense. My light sensitivity gets better the more frequently I wear my glasses. Without them my vision has no focal point. My intraocular muscles don't get used as much and grow weak without glasses and my eyes also lose some of their ability to adjust to light. Very bright and very dark environments become blinding. Except when I need sunglasses to drive or my blue light blocking glasses to read while I have a headache, I try to avoid that stuff since in the long run it makes my specific type of light sensitivity worse.

[@megamaser]

So basically you've formed an addiction to something without actual benefit. It only seems like a benefit due to physical dependence. You're overly sensitive due to understimulation. It's like heroin addiction. You know it's important to perceive blue light during the day right? You're sabotaging your mental health by blocking it all day. You're at a higher risk for insomnia and depression.

[@nerktheninja811]

I will say, ever since I got blue light filter glasses, I can study IMMENSELY longer without getting a headache. No change in eye strain, that really does come from not blinking in my experience. Also, yes, it blocks blue light, so colors are a little different (green ish depending on the amount of filter)

[@bongassociatesanalytics124]

This is similar to my experience. Job + School (STEM masters) part time.

[@evilsharkey8954]

Blue light is only problematic when you’re trying to go to sleep because it inhibits melatonin production. It triggers wakefulness. In my experience, eye strain is caused by focusing on things that are too small, too bright, too dark, and/or not in great focus. I have terrible myopia and irregular (uncorrectable) astigmatism, so eye strain due to poor focus is very common. I also notice my corrective lenses shrink things quite a bit, making me even more prone to eye strain. For me, just scaling up the text, adjusting or removing my glasses, and making sure I don’t have to squint make my eyes less tired. Oh, and I have to remember to blink.

[@theideaofevil]

Yes, this! This is the only real thing about blue light, everything else is just marketing bunk lol

[@zebragoboom]

this video actually kind of concerns me because I think people will take the wrong message from this. Yes, the blue light filter glasses don't help with eye strain, but they certainly do help with limiting blue light exposure for your circadian rhythm

[@cezarcatalin1406]

I’m a programmer that’s used to the blue screen background. Honestly, blue light has no effect on me anymore since due to long term exposure especially during night hours.

[@massimookissed1023]

The eye strain isn't because of the blue light, it comes from staring at a fixed focal distance for ages. The blue light just keeps you awake.

[@nBasedAce]

No, it comes because you don't blink as much as normal when watching a screen.

[@massimookissed1023]

@@nBasedAce that would be the _staring_ part of "staring at a fixed focal distance".

[@ruecumbers]

Oh! Yeah, this is what I was just wondering too.

[@Anklejbiter]

@@nBasedAce I've always been under the assumption that it's a combination of the two. The same reasoning shows why people who read a lot of books end up needing glasses much earlier in life. Less frequent blinking, and less frequent focal length changes.

[@newuser689]

​@@Anklejbiter I think I also read a study that concluded that people who don't go outside enough need glasses as well. I believe they looked at students in China and hypothesized they need glasses more often because they spend more time indoors studying compared to US students.

[@EDuGoIHuvvet]

My head gets less tired if I use blue light blockers, like on my phone. I'm ND, and can be very sensitive to light. Most often to the bright white/blue lights. So a blue light filter really helps me, because otherwise I'll get migraines and my eyes will be hurting. So at least it can be helpful with those issues! 😊

[@edpietila2026]

I was getting bad headaches and visual disturbances in my field of view (to the point of not being able to drive for about 1/2 hour after extended screen time). I bought blue-blocking glasses at Walmart and it has completely stopped those effects. If I lazily forget to put them on I am reminded after a couple hours as the problems return. For me, those glasses definitely do work.

[@justicedinosaur7302]

sounds like a migraine

[@Electricz0]

Reading glasses can help because they reduce the effort your eye muscles require to focus on close objects. Basically the glasses shift your focus closer so your eyes don’t have to. They also magnify the image by about 15%.

[@Rainbow-Reilly]

I thought the reason blue light is bad is because it tricks your brain into thinking it's daytime, which prevents you from getting tired when you're up late staring at your screen? No idea if that's true either, but I thought that's why everyone was using those filters.

[@nBasedAce]

No. It's because of supposed eye strain. You could have used Google.

[@Zeppongola]

@@nBasedAce I just did a quick google search for "blue light screen" and "why filter blue light", and turns out both explanations show up.

[@Rainbow-Reilly]

@@nBasedAce And you could try not being needlessly rude to strangers.

[@AndrewMcColl]

@@Rainbow-Reilly based on his user name, he's either 'in character' or actually insufferable.

[@Hamstray]

blue light definitely doesn't prevent you from getting tired. if it did gamers would turn up their blue levels.

[@MartinOlminkhof]

The other issue with screens is you never have to change focus and so your eyes are at the same focus for too long

[@megamaser]

Sort of. It's the fact that your eyes relax when looking far away. Looking up close for a long time means your eyes can never take a break. It's fine though if you get the proper glasses to allow your eyes to relax when looking up close.

[@Your.teammate]

From my experience it's about the difference in brightness of the screen and the ambient light, so I'd recommend reducing screen brightness or turning the lights on (they don't have to be completely on, a dim desk lamp is perfectly fine for me)

[@kalui96]

Going outside causes eye strain. Walking to your car in a parking lot with reflective concrete pavement causes eye strain. The glass-lined buildings that compose the majority of cities cause eye strain. Seeing that blue light glasses and other snake oil products selling quite well causes psychological strain

[@hauntedsunsets]

getting some kind of app that automatically cycles 20 minute timers to remind you to take eye breaks is honestly such a huge help, especially cause I've found it actually helps you to notice when your eyes hurt and start taking eye breaks independently of using a timer!

[@MIrfanPerdana]

Ooh, that sounds interesting! Any recommendations for such an app?

[@chanbricks4461]

​@@MIrfanPerdana Pomodoro timers are a good choice

[@AndrewMcColl]

I also like to position my screen so there's 'empty space' behind it. That way I can glance up or to the sides, let my eyes refocus on something in the middle/far distance, then go back to my screen.

[@MIKOOL13]

I use blue blockers at night in bed. Not sure about eye strain. But I fall asleep way easier.

[@gastonmarian7261]

Yeah, I wish he had touched on that aspect of it. I'm pretty sure blue light inhibits melatonin production, so without electric light, sun goes down, no blue light to inhibit, body produces melatonin and gets sleepy. Blue light glasses return your circadian rhythm

[@newuser689]

@@gastonmarian7261 im surprised he didn't mention anything about melatonin production. I thought that was the whole purpose of blue light glasses, and I was interested to know if they actually worked.

[@patrickoberholzer4278]

For eye strain, try to do the following: - blink more, often we blink less when looking at a screen and it dries our eyes out - every few minutes, focus your eyes on a distant point for 30 or so seconds - reduce brightness

[@warriorson7979]

The most damage screens do to your eyes is the extended time that your eyes have to focus at a short distance. Your eyes are designed to focus at infinity (ie 6 meters or further) for the majority of the time.

[@Manacra13]

This may be entirely a placebo effect but when I started at my call center job a couple years ago i had really bad migraines every day after my shift, I chalked this up to eye strain (since the migraines were originating from my occipital lobe) so I purchased some blue light glasses and the migraines went away. I still spend all day on my phone and staring at computers at work so the only thing that changed was my eyewear but as always one anecdote doesn’t equate to a working theory. More research is needed.

[@Laurastar2009]

Just because blue-light filters were shown to have no effect on eye-strain from screens, does not mean they are entirely useless. There's eye-strain from not blinking enough, and then there's light-induced headaches and migraines. I agree more research is needed, but I think it's key to understand what and who is being studied - I'd be interested in a study of people with light-sensitivity issues or neurological conditions and the effects of blue-light.

[@tomless8767]

I don’t really use mine for eye strain, but I heard that it helps your natural melatonin production to make sleep better, I’d be curious to hear his take on that

[@Hamstray]

it's not the blue light that impacts your sleep. it's consumption of social media.

[@ragnkja]

@@Hamstray It’s both.

[@newuser689]

@@Hamstray 100% both. social media is inflammatory and makes your mind run constantly. blue light makes your body think its daytime.

[@inendlesspain4724]

​@@newuser689 No wonder people on social media, especially the chronically online, are borderline insane.

[@TetraSky]

Maybe not blue light, but decreasing the brightness along with lowering the bluelight helps a lot to reduce eye strain for me. Plus it helps me fall asleep faster after using my devices. On desktop, I use a software that reduces my monitor's brightness to 20% of its normal brightness and the color temperature to 2100˚K (makes things a bit more orange, less blue). Same thing on my phone.

[@jaleelmuhammad9659]

Researches used to say that sugar, consumed in any quantity cannot harm you

[@ZipplyZane]

Also, I'm pretty sure I blink quite often when I use my computer. In fact, I'm now hyper aware of it since you mentioned it. Maybe that's why I can be on a computer all day with little eye strain.

[@ruecumbers]

I wonder if it also has something to do with always looking at things so close to your face. Ive heard of studies that show that kind of thing can affect whether youre near/far sighted, so it doesnt seem a stretch to me that it could also just in general be straining to your eyes to hold one "lens" position. Kind of similar to when youre sore from sitting too long.

[@malavoy1]

Not only blinking, but also the fact that you are focusing on something up close for long periods of time. This happens with reading books (real not digital) as well.

[@tylerrissell9837]

Sending Hank all the love for making this. You’re a genuinely wonderful person.

[@arianedealswithsocialanxie8170]

For folks with photophobia working with screens, try FL-41 lenses and see if they make a difference for you!

[@calcavendish5430]

That len saved me from daily migraine.

[@SimeVidas]

There’s an easy fix that not many people know about. Go to your brain’s settings and turn on auto-blinking. Just don’t forget to turn it off when you go to sleep.

[@prakash_77]

It becomes a problem when you get immersed into something and have to have that timely thought. Imagine going to a movie and thinking about blinking.

[@jimjimsauce]

i think blue light glasses do work on older monitors and screens, i used to use a monitor from mid 2000s until a year or two ago, and tried blue light glasses and it seemed to really help the harshness of the old LEDS, maybe not all about getting rid of blue light, but i noticed after getting a monitor upgrade that i didn’t need the glasses anymore because it was not as harsh as the last screen

[@ColCurtis]

Also staring at a screen keeps your eye muscles fixed in a certain position causing muscle strain. Take breaks, change your focal length.

[@Magmafrost13]

Also most screens (phones, monitors, etc) have an option to tint the screen to lower the amount of blue light, no need for extraneous special glasses Although on my pc monitor, this option also disables the ability to adjust brightness, just to ensure the screen nukes my eyeballs regardless. Really I think brightness sliders being able to go lower should be more of a priority, since every device I own cannot go low enough to be comfortable in a totally dark room

[@Lucky10279]

If you use Windows, there's an app called fLux that lets you adjust the coloring filters without affecting your ability to adjust the brightness level. I've been using it for years and it's one of the first things I install whenever I get a new laptop. It makes the screw so much more comfortable to look at. Also, dark mode and high contrast modes help a lot too.

[@frecio231]

Widows, and many Linux DE's (I don't use Mac, so I don't know if they do it too, but I don't doubt it) have a feature for turning on lower blue light at certain hours, so no need to use that flawed feature of your monitor

[@XmasReaper_4414]

I've been using blue light gaming glasses lately, I've definitely noticed a positive difference when using them. I get less headaches and less strain on my eyes. I was skeptical at first when looking at them. They also help while driving

[@jarrodanderson4825]

I am now blinking manually

[@RaisonLychi]

I remember never getting eye strain from the blocky boxy monitor screen, but the new stuff I have to turn the brightness down alot. I can entirely confirm blue filter is the most useless optional feature for glasses though. Just turn the brightness down and give your eyes a break more often.

[@werdwerdus]

that's a really good point! CRT monitors are usually way less bright so that totally makes sense

[@tylerhawley4012]

To note, the benefit of blue light glasses is to help keep your circadian clock on track so you can go to sleep at a good time. Our circadian clock is influenced by blue light exposure and we are more sensitive to blue light at night. Using a device late at night can mess with your sleep, hence using the glasses to help counteract that.

[@megamaser]

Very true. Also blue light is important during the day. Exposure to blue light during daylight hours is just as effective at promoting sleep later at night. So it's not a good idea to wear these glasses all day. Only in the last four to six hours before sleeping.

[@samuelcatlow]

My optometrist recently told me not to bother with them as they're a gimmick, and studies have proven they don't do anything. He told me to just get the anti-glare ones

[@tripleswaggaroni1544]

Not necessarily blue filter glasses, but I’ve noticed that the night shift function on phones and computer help my eyes a lot. It usually makes your screen more yellow/orange tint. Often times when I use someone else’s phone or computer I’ll notice my eyes hurting or a minor headache before I notice the absence of the orange tint. Not sure if its placebo or not but ever since I’ve started switching on night shift on my devices I haven’t gotten major eye strain or headaches from prolonged exposure to screens

[@portlandgoose4727]

You just made Zenni and Eyebuydirect’s hitlist my friend

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

I think it could have to do with the refresh rate. I can see the flickering of my phone when I look at it through my peripheral vision in certain lighting. And I've had times where after using my phone I close my eyes to go to sleep and it feels like I'm rapidly looking around. It also could partly be influenced by people not focusing on the screen but rather looking a bit past it. Of course it makes a lot of sense for video games where depth is meant to be portrayed, but I think it even occurs just based on the lighting of what's on the screen.

[@DuckInGameStop]

you can actually see the flickering? is the refresh rate set to 2hz or something? lol

[@MerkhVision]

I’ve totally had that “rapidly lookin around” feeling too!

[@joshm9782]

As an extension of the second point I’ve heard somewhere is that it’s also possibly due to the fact that you spend a lot of time focusing at a very limited range distances for prolonged periods of time. Causing strain on the muscles controlling the lenses.

[@Prism019]

Oh hey! Someone else that can see the flickering! I can close my eyes after a while of looking at a screen and see the darkness of my eyelids flashing rapidly. I'm also able to basically instantly see when an LED light fixture is not using any smoothing capacitor after the bridge rectifier, because it'll flicker. People don't believe me, then I pull out my phone and show them the dark stripes on the walls picked up by the rolling shutter. When I was growing up, my dad had in his garage a bunch of CRT displays for his computer and LED light strips as the lighting. I was able to see the dark line roll up or down the displays where the phosphors were about to be hit by the electron beam each frame.

[@galre7702]

Originally I had heard that the blue light kept you up and was bad for sleep hygiene

[@ipsojure2137]

Apple devices have a night shift mode that filters blue light so you might be right

[@WarblyWark]

Blue light glasses help people with tritonopia or tritanomaly. Sometimes I have to wear them if I want to play video games or if I'm at work. Those things give me headaches so I barely wear them.

[@rubysresource]

You can also just use night mode in most operating systems to reduce the amount of blue light coming out of the screen.

[@scorpioftw]

I mean, I'm no expert, and have no claims of knowing how it works. But I can assure you they work. I can barely work on my computer for an hour before my eyes start to hurt. On the other hand, if I use blue light glasses I can keep up with my 8 hour shift with no problem

[@sleepysera]

I have blue light filtering glasses and regular ones (exactly the same in all other aspects). I get headaches centered around the eyes when I use the regular ones for prolonged screen stuff (usually because I simply forget to switch them sometimes since they are so similar). Make of that what you will. Regardless of what glasses you are wearing, taking regular breaks and an adequate amount of rest is mandatory either way anyways :)

[@Handinmapocket]

Blue light does affect your production of sleep hormones to a certain degree, so it's generally advised to avoid blue light before bed time as it can make falling asleep harder.

[@AliCatGtz]

I wish there was more research to back this up. Personally, I can’t stand bright lights and I usually have my brightness on any device, pretty low to not on at night. I’m a writer that sits at the computer for awhile and after a while I get a headache or dull pain right between my eyebrows. I bought the blue light glasses in hopes they would help. I didn’t get headaches anymore and my eyes don’t feel irritated from the brightness either. So, I’m not sure why they work for me and my needs but I prefer if there was an actual reason so my husband would get off me about them not working. Yet, they work for me, idk 🤷‍♀️

[@guinntessence]

In case this is helpful to anyone else: I own a pair of glasses with a 10% pink tint on the lenses. I started getting these as a spare pair years ago when I was suffering from migraines on a frequent basis. I am thankfully not getting them as often these days but in the process I discovered wearing them while I work makes staring at my computer screen all day much more tolerable. Taking breaks is never a bad idea, of course, but the tint has been a helpful addition for me. I use three monitors that are all almost completely white space (ugh) so the tint on my glasses combined with Windows' Night Light is an essential buff!

[@rhov-anion]

I remember being a kid on the computer and my mother would have to scream, "BLINK!!!!" She said I'd go easily 2 minutes without blinking, and when I did, it hurt. Fast forward a quarter of a century, I'm dealing with corneal problems likely caused by me not blinking enough. I'm about to try scleral lenses to help with the issue.

[@Laurastar2009]

I'm prone to headaches and migraines. The blue-light filter on my glasses has been wonderful for reducing headaches usually associated with fluorescent lights. I definitely still get eye strain, so it's interesting to know it's not linked to blue-light. The filter has done its job in reducing bright light-induced headaches though.

[@rafaelutzul4790]

need a full video on this and things that actually reduce eye strain, im sure it affects a LOT of people

[@tim.a.k.mertens]

I've definitely noticed the not blinking thing when I'm trying really hard to stay focused

[@heroclix0rz]

I always make sure to take a break from staring at my work computer. I use the time to catch up on scishow videos...

[@kevinnsales592]

So from one screen to another? Meh, me too.

[@c4lmchor]

bro really just turned all of us onto manual blinking mode

[@anuvardhank.n3337]

Almost a decade ago when blue light limiting features were being added in OSes it was being used to adjust to circadian rhythm. Like less stimulation at night so as to reduce sleep disturbances. Only recently it had been marketed in spectacle as "blue filter to reduce eye strain".

[@Anandroid]

Who else started voluntarily blinking a lot as Hank explained

[@chris-lk4ml]

Thanks for intruducing the study. Very interessting! Also interessting to know how your workspace looks!

[@parmesanzero7678]

Mine definitely comes from blinking less frequently. I’ll get into something and realize I have not blinked for a long period of time

[@Zeverinsen]

When I worked at an optician's, what I learned was that the blue light isn't necessarily directly harmful to you, but that it is suspected to contribute to less blinking and disturbing your circadian rhythm because it is associated with daylight. So blocking the blue light wouldn't necessarily stop the straining of the eyes, because you're already straining them by staring at a static object, but it could help with circadian rhythm and blinking. Once again, I think most people are just misunderstanding the actual function of a thing, and hyping it up to be something it's not 😅

[@345necrofix]

Loving the little figurine of Strong Sad in the background Hank!

[@therealdrag0]

If you work in an office beware the overhead lights. Those were giving me eye strain. I stood on my desk and unplugged a few and that helped a ton. A brimmed hat can help too.

[@kristijan8518]

The eye strain is probably a combination of few different factors, not blinking, eye muscles cramping from being contracted for very long because we're looking at a specific thing in the same distance.

[@roberthobbs6318]

I've actually never heard of the "eye strain" side of things. I only use my blue light filter when it's close to bedtime. I find this actually works to lower the stimuli input and helps me wind down.

[@chrish6001]

My eye doctor said taking frequent breaks and setting reminders to blink might help. She also said she couldn't find any data to show how much blue light was being blocked. Be wary of claims; some lenses are made of materials that naturally block blue light so it's not worth paying extra for that. The "Lights Out!" documentary looked at nurses who work night shifts. Being exposed to blue light from artificial sources during the night over several years did seem to affect their health. Nothing mentioned about eye health. It is more to do with suppressing melatonin. That's why wearing the yellow tinted safety glasses and more red based lights were recommended. Also said to avoid a lot of screen time a few hours before bed.

[@mittenface]

Thanks for this info, very relevant and useful.

[@furrytree]

It's always suggested to look 20ft away from a screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds or more. It does actually help!

[@mysoulcalledlife]

I’m going to set an alarm for this, thanks 🙏

[@martynastreciokas6015]

Not specifically for blu light filtering glases, but UV absorbing glasses that get dark when outside in the sunlight. Without theese galsses i can use the conputer for rougly 2 hours before experiancing eye strain(they also get very red). With the glasses on i can use the computer 24/7 without any eye strain.

[@umutcantacer7271]

I bought one these glasses. Not for eye strain, that’s definitely from not blinking and not moving your eye enough. Rather I bought it so that I will actually get sleepy.

[@ThePhoenyx99]

Better lighting is the biggest thing I've found. I used to have eye strain all the time but I did some research and switched from a mostly dark environment to a well lit environment and now almost never get eye strain despite looking at computer screens 12-14 hours a day.

[@jaredwilliams8621]

One piece that gets overlooked with computer glasses is that many manufacturers actually add a very slight magnification (1.1x) to the lenses on top of the coating. The magnification isn't super noticeable, but it may be the real reason that computer glasses provide some eye strain relief for some users.

[@AnonymousOnimous]

Science Insider did a video with optometrists on eye myths and they explained that blue light isn't bad for your eyes, it just might mess up your circadian rhythm (sleep schedule). So it would make sense that blocking blue light wouldn't effect your eyes, but it could improve your sleep.

[@barnmaddo]

Whoa, you're a lot more chill on your youtube channel. I wasn't even sure you were the same person.

[@Virtuous_Rogue]

I found blue light filtering glasses (as a coating to my prescription lenses) made it harder to not be sleepy at my desk during the workday.

[@d3xbot]

Hi! I'm an IT pro who, by nature of my job, works with many screens all day. Blinking and taking regular breaks to look at something in the middle distance or beyond for a minute or two is definitely a good way to reduce digital eye strain. One thing that I always do, though, is turn down the brightness some. My work monitors stay around 50% brightness unless I need the full brightness for something. 50% on my monitors puts them around the same perceived brightness level as the office lights. While this is anecdotal, I have noticed that when I wear blue light blocking glasses with no correction, I get less eye strain and have stopped getting optical migraines altogether (🤞hopefully that keeps up!).

[@mikaem]

My eye doctor told me to try looking at something not digital for a few mins every hour. It sucks to stop what I’m doing but it helps and she is totally right.

[@jchelnis9360]

Ophthalmologist here! Thank you for using your platform to bust this myth! 😎 I treat dry eyes in NYC and get asked about this all the time- as stated, blinking infrequently plays a big role in this. Blue filtered glasses don’t help with eye strain!

[@rebeccabarna8512]

Thank you for posting this! I was thinking of buying blue light filter glasses but now I know better and will just try to get in a few more breaks 🙏

[@yukiandkanamekuran]

Thank you!! I had really bad eyestrain yesterday, so this helps.

[@LordOceanus]

I occasionally use low blue light glasses and they help for me. I suspect it is actually the subtle magnification they also provide that does most of the work but they do help at least for me

[@geoffreymartin6363]

I've always thought it made more sense to explain it with the fact you're holding your lens at the same focus for ages. That's the muscle being used, the retina cells having to process higher frequency light doesn't seem as harmful as simple muscle strain. But blinking also makes sense. I use f.lux on my desktop as well and I find it does seem to reduce eye strain, but more because having a lower colour temperature means somewhat less brightness

[@B00s3]

What about screen filters? The ones that make your screen slightly redish? I find that late at night or in a dark room these 'Night Filters' really help not stress out my eyes. I don't believe the blue light is doing anything bad, but I do feel relief when the Night Filter comes on.

[@lupierz]

Also the quality of the screens. The resolution, colours, sharpness etc. The comfort of working on good-quality screens is significantly more comfortable.

[@davidriosg]

What I hear usually is that blue light impacts your ability to go to sleep. The recommendation is to get less blue light as you approach bedtime, because it simulates the natural sunlight pattern or something.

[@bookingitwithwill402]

I like the glasses I know they're not really doing anything but the brightness of screens givens me headaches. so i use them like a indoor sunglasses.

[@davidm2.johnston684]

Hank, how come I ALWAYS agree with you?

[@bobowon5450]

Ive never used those glasses but i find dimming the screen helps a lot. I also use a blue light filter but thats because it both has a dimming effect and also warmer tones just look more pleasent to me

[@sxeptomaniac]

Low-power reading glasses with a slight tint have been really helpful for me. I don't really look for the "blue-blocking" feature, though.

[@tiny.cat.potato]

Side note for autistics or neurodivergents folks: turning on your blue light filter/lecture mode/night mode in your devices does help you with your headaches and light sensitivity. I don't know the science behind it, but blue light filter stuff does help if light sensitivity is your problem. Pd: I know your screen looks better without the filter on, screw that, give it a try, 20 minutes after you'll change your mindset and love the filter.

[@kaboomsihal1164]

Imagine having the luxury of taking screen breaks at work

[@danielhessler5304]

Being an optician for years going to conferences and taking with researcher I can say that this is pretty accurate. Besides the media took a solo case study of cells being exposed to blue light dying to far out of context. Blue light is important for sleep rhythm and in everything.

[@unon735]

me blinking a dozen times as soon as i heard "aren't blinking enough"