New Startup Business Brings Awareness and Solutions for Digital Eye Strain
The blue light from digital devices damages your eyes and disrupts how your brain functions.
PupilBox is here to help, pushing education and non-Rx solutions to mass market.
CINCINNATI, OH (April 27, 2017) — High energy blue light is the single hottest topic in the optical industry. It is covered by more continuing education hours than any other single topic and consistently featured in optical magazines. Now, a new startup named PupilBox is set to launch a Kickstarter campaign and break away from the pack.
PupilBox is going to drive awareness to the mass market via their website and social media channels. As the optical community knows, society’s addiction to digital devices is exposing people to this high-energy blue light now more than ever. However, what makes this health risk more dangerous is the general lack of awareness, and corresponding options for what they call “true quality protection.” The Vision Council’s 2017 Blue Light/Digital Eye Strain Report still shows that the vast majority people remain unaware of blue light, especially the harmful impact it can have on their health. It is common for young professionals to now spend more than half their work day in front of a digital device. Children are now growing up immersed in a digital world, being exposed to digital devices earlier and for longer periods of time than any other generation. In fact due to the prevalence and the way they consume digital devices our children are the most at-risk group.
Regarding blue light;
Ophthalmologist Dr. Charles Beischel says,
- “I work with people every day to solve their eye problems. One of the more prevalent problems is Digital Eye Strain. There’s a concern that the increased exposure to artificial blue light that comes from looking at screens all day long has increased the prevalence of Digital Eye Strain.”
- “Another concern about blue light is its effect on our sleep pattern. Especially exposure to blue light in the evening when our eyes are not really expecting it. [Blue light] can change the melatonin cycle and interfere with our ability to go to sleep.”
- “In addition, there’s concern that the high energy blue light can affect our risk for macular degeneration. Especially since humans are now exposed to this high energy blue light all day long, and not just during the sun cycle.”
Paul Rudolph, CEO of PupilBox says,
- “Our children are now required to use digital devices in school. Exposing them to high-energy blue light so frequently is like sending them outside all day in the sun without sunscreen. They need protection.”
FAST FACTS:
- An American adult spends 10 hours a day staring at screens without protection.
- The office worker is experiencing Digital Eye Strain making them a less productive workforce.
- The use of tablets is a growing trend in schools, with students as young as 6 getting hours of screen-time in class each day.
- Children’s eyes allow in more harmful light, and their shorter arms require them to hold the device closer compounding the damage.
Hugh McManus is the co-founder of PupilBox that comes from the optical industry. Along with the rest of the optical community, Mr. McManus has seen the topic of blue light explode over the past few years. A core belief of PupilBox is to always work with ECPs and optical community instead of causing ‘disruption’. With this in mind, Mr. McManus and the PupilBox team have carved out a niche in the blue light market.
PupilBox’s mission is to be the online destination for blue light information and education. PupilBox goes the extra mile to ensure total transparency and accuracy of their information. All claims come from researching the actual scientific journals and reviewing experiment results. This enables them to not get fooled by unsubstantiated marketing claims. Additionally, PupilBox has purchased a top of the line spectrometer and independently verifies all filtration and protection levels. This is what lead PupilBox to discover the actual amount of filtration of lenses on the market. Disturbingly, some results showed that while lenses were marketed as protecting significant levels of blue light, in reality they acted more like SPF 10 instead of SPF 50. PupilBox’s goal to work with ECPs is highlighted by the fact that they provide strictly non-prescription blue light filtering glasses, and encourages annual visits to local ECPs for exams and Rx glasses. In the future they hope to even be able to provide referrals to ECPs in key markets.
What makes PupilBox unique is that they will be the first company to provide a comprehensive online blue light protection marketplace. Set to fully launch later this year, PupilBox will run a Kickstarter from May 3rd through June 1st to presell their main product, a blue light protection box.
The main item in the box is their non-prescription glasses. PupilBox offers a variety of stylish frames, including a bold acetate frame designed themselves named The Signature. There are three different lens options depending on the level of protection the wearer desires. However, the box goes far beyond just glasses. Also in the box is a PupilBulb, a low-blue light bulb for bedrooms and nightstands. Using this bulb instead of tradition LED or CFL bulbs can help in the production of melatonin and create a more restful sleep. There are also wipes to keep the lenses clean, and eye drops to alleviate dry-eye during prolonged digital exposure.
Their 25k Kickstarter goal will bring to market what they are calling the first “visual lifestyle system,” delivered in an easy-to-use kit. PupilBox’s CEO Paul Rudolph says, “We aren’t going to throw away our smart phones, convince our bosses to go back to paper, or stop binging on your favorite late night shows. That’s why we started PupilBox. To raise awareness in the mass market and to make sure everyone has options to match their blue light protection needs. A complete system to protect your vision lifestyle from morning till night.
The three lens options are positioned to each block a specific portion of blue light spectrum. One for the office worker named Casually Connected, one for children and high users named Digitally Addicted, and one designed to invoke your natural sleep cycle.
We need to start talking about the way we consume light in the same way we consume nutrition. We can’t wait for people to find out about blue light by visiting the eye doctor. Just as it would not have made sense that people only discover the effects of UV if they visited a dermatologist.