If you're a gamer (or someone who watches Netflix for 7 hours straight on a Sunday night on your sweet new iMac desktop computer [don't judge me, I already have enough of that in my life]), chances are pretty good you know all about Computer Vision Syndrome.
No, CVS isn't a pharmacy, and it isn't a new brand of virtual reality. CVS is what happens when you spend plenty of your waking hours staring at a computer screen. I know a lot about this, because I spend a lot of time in front of a computer. When you try to sleep after putting in a 10 hour work day in front of a bright computer monitor (no matter how sharp or gorgeous that monitor may be), it can be hard to sleep.
And if you're one of those who likes to lie in bed and use your cell phone and then try to go directly to sleep, you might discover that it's hard to start sawing logs immediately. Yep. That's CVS.
Here's what the Harvard Medical School has to say about computer vision syndrome:
"But we may be paying a price for basking in all that light. At night, light throws the body’s biological clock—the circadian rhythm—out of whack. Sleep suffers. Worse, research shows that it may contribute to the causation of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
But not all colors of light have the same effect. Blue wavelengths—which are beneficial during daylight hours because they boost attention, reaction times, and mood—seem to be the most disruptive at night. And the proliferation of electronics with screens, as well as energy-efficient lighting, is increasing our exposure to blue wavelengths, especially after sundown." Harvard Medical School
So now that we know this is a real thing and not just some figment of our imagination, what can we do about it? Well, the fine folks at Blue Shark Optics have a solution. Their new line of Blue Buster glasses (starts at $189 for non-prescription) help to eliminate blue light, thereby reducing or completing vaporizing the effects of computer vision syndrome.
Blue Shark sent PokerNews Lifestyle a pair of the Blue Buster glasses to review. I used them nearly every night, from the moment it began growing dark outside until it was time to crawl into bed. I used them when on my laptop, and I used them while playing Candy Crush on my phone in bed. Don't judge me. I'm just a simple dude who likes his Candy Crush. We've all been there. Right? RIGHT?
There are other glasses on the market that eliminate blue light. But here's the problem: All of them have amber/yellow lenses. Which means 1. You look like an old person from a 1980's cop drama that wears tight jeans when wearing them and 2. They absolutely change the colors you're seeing. Everything has a yellow tint, because you're looking through yellow lenses. Common sense and whatnot.
But the Blue Buster glasses aren't yellow. They're clear. And what's more, they can create them in prescription variations for those of you who, like me, have the eyesight of an 86 year old man.
In my testing of the Blue Buster glasses, I did in fact discover that I fell asleep much more quickly at night. That's not a sales pitch; I'm not receiving a dime from Blue Shark Optics for this review. I'm just saying that in my short period of time using the glasses, I was able to fall asleep much more quickly than I have in the past after heavy electronics usage late at night.
So in the end, the Blue Buster glasses seem to do exactly what Blue Shark says they do: they reduce the symptoms of computer vision syndrome. I don't suffer from headaches after staring at a computer screen, but I'm sure some of you do. If you're one of those folks, then these glasses might also be a revelation for you, as Blue Shark says they reduce headaches as well.
Some of you already use Blue Shark Optics sunglasses at the poker table, and for good reason: they do exactly what the company claims they do. They're very popular for that exact reason. From our time with the Blue Buster glasses, it appears to be yet another rock-solid product from Blue Shark Optics, and those of you who spend countless hours each day grinding away on poker sites will find them to be a welcome relief.
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