PRESS RELEASE | MINNEAPOLIS | April 20, 2021
Eyesafe Inc., the global leader in blue light management and standards for the consumer electronics industry, and Trafera, one of the fastest-growing vendors of school and government technology in the US, today announce they are partnering to help protect the eyes of millions of students using digital devices.
The average amount of screen time has doubled for children since the onset of COVID-19 as distance learning emerged as the dominant model for much of the U.S.1 All this screen time has unintended consequences, as students are exposed to more high-energy blue light than ever before.
93% of parents and 96% of educators are “very concerned” to “somewhat concerned” about the impact of digital device screen time on children’s eyes.4
According to research, excessive screen time and blue light exposure may cause dry, irritated eyes, trouble sleeping, blurred vision, reduced attention span, irritability and difficulty concentrating.2 Of particular concern is the effect of blue light on the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) of students. Blue light has a known linkage to sleep issues, which may cause next day drowsiness, early waking, and sleep disruption. Sleep disruption in children is linked to behavioral problems, depression, and reduced performance in school.3
To help address the problem, Trafera is now offering Eyesafe® Blue Light Screen Filters to the K-12 channel, along with their most popular Chromebooks for education. Eyesafe® Filters are patented and developed with leading eye doctors to help reduce blue light emissions from digital devices. Unlike other solutions on the market, they do not shift the color of screens to a yellow-tint, and the protection is always-on; no behavioral changes are needed as with blue light blocking glasses.
Eyesafe and Trafera expect widespread adoption of the new product line, both to retrofit existing student devices and help protect new devices.
1https://parents-together.org/survey-shows-parents-alarmed-as-kids-screen-time-skyrockets-during-covid-19-crisis
2https://www.aoa.org/AOA/Documents/Practice%20Management/Clinical%20Guidelines/EBO%20Guidelines/Comprehensive%20Pediatric%20Eye%20and%20Vision%20Exam.pdf
3Tosini G, Ferguson I., Tsubota K., Molecular Vision 2016; 22:61-72; 2. Short- and long-term health consequences of sleep disruption. G Medic, et al. Nature and Science of Sleep. 2017; 9: 151–161.
4https://eyesafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/UHC-Eyesafe-Parent-Guide-10-08-2020.pdf