Glasses were originally designed to help those with difficulty seeing things clearly. They were worn as a perfect way to correct vision. Glasses prevent eyestrain and reduce migraines due to vision problems.
Today people wear glasses for a variety of reasons, and only one of them is to vision correction. Additionally, people may not always get glasses from an optician, even if they’re prescription glasses. Glasses are now even available online at competitive prices on websites.
7 Interesting Reasons to Wear Glasses
Here are a few reasons why people may wear glasses, some of which you may have already tried, while others may take you by surprise:
1. Glasses look cool.
The days of being made fun of for wearing glasses are now well behind us. Nowadays, glasses are seen as cool, as a way to be more fashionable, as an elegant accessory for any outfit. Non-prescription glasses are worn as a fashion statement.
2. Glasses provide safety.
What do you do if you need to wear prescription glasses, but you also need to do some work where you need to wear big, ugly goggles to protect your eyes from flying debris. Simple. Like fashion-specs, you can shop for online prescription safety glasses as well. You can also find prescription scuba masks, swimming goggles, etc.
Another way glasses provide safety is through sunglasses, which protect eyes from harmful UV rays from the sun. Sunglasses now come with polarized lenses. These block horizontal glare, preventing vision damage that can lead to macular degeneration or cataracts.
3. Glasses provide anonymity.
Sunglasses have been used by celebrities seeking to protect themselves from enthusiastic fans accosting them when they are in public. But this has not worked well, as people still recognize them.
In fact, people now almost expect a celebrity to wear glasses when they’re out in public. And to add to the confusion, people often pretend to be celebrities by wearing sunglasses indoors. So now we have faux celebrities!
In short, the whole thing has become something of a joke. Although it’s possible that the whole thing was never meant to be taken seriously in the first place.
Interestingly enough, no one recognized Superman when he wore regular glasses with elegant black frames. They always mistook him for a mild-mannered newspaper reporter. The same is true for Supergirl. And, even in the non-fictional world, science shows that wearing glasses really does act like a full disguise–at least when you’re dealing with strangers.
4. Glasses make you look like a geek.
In an era where geeks are changing the world with their clever ideas, it’s become fashionable to “look smart”. While you might not be from Silicon Valley writing code for an app that will change the world as we know it, the next best thing you can do is look as if you might as well belong there. Glasses make you appear smart, adding a touch of sophistication, a dash of polish, to your look.
5. Glasses make reading easier.
If you are far-sighted, you may find some difficulty reading small print because it’s close up. You would benefit from reading glasses. While these are often prescribed, it’s not always necessary to see an optometrist. You can find temporary reading glasses at bookstores hanging on a rack near the checkout counter, offering generic magnification strengths.
6. Glasses make driving easier.
If you are near-sighted, then your distance vision is blurry. You may need to wear glasses when you’re driving so that you can read the street signs.
Glasses for distance can also be useful when you’re sitting in an auditorium and the players on the field are hard to identify or when you’re at a concert and your favorite band is singing but you can barely see the lead singer’s expression as he or she whips out a signature song.
7. Glasses add to the fun.
Sometimes you might wear glasses for goofy fun. Shopping at hobby stores, you can buy funny glasses that make you look bug-eyed, or aviator glasses, John Lennon glasses, or Harry Potter glasses. You might even decide to buy rose-colored glasses, which are actually tinted sunglasses.
Glasses have come a long way from their original use. While glasses are still worn for functional purposes, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes they are just worn temporarily to enhance an experience, like reading or driving or attending an event. They can also be the perfect fashion accessory. In fact, they could be exactly what you need to perfect your spring look!
Natalia says
I’ve been wearing glasses all of my life, so it’s really no bout deal to me. It has become a part of my look.
The Cubicle Chick says
I wear contacts, but have been wearing my glasses more as of late. The vast styles that they have now make it easier to wear them.
Kristina Beaugh says
Great blog!
I work in the communications office at the National Eye Institute (part of NIH), and we are gearing up for Healthy Vision Month in May. Would you be interested in collaborating on some kind of feature about eye health?
Stephanie says
These are so interesting. I use glasses for the safety and they also provide a bit of fun. Needless to say, glasses are useful while driving.
Stephanie (https://smiletutor.sg/)
Rachael says
Glasses are super convenient, saves me the hassle in the mornings trying to put on my contact lens.
Most importantly, allows me to catch extra much-needed sleep :p
Rachael (https://engagetutors.sg)