The Vision Council will be sponsoring the official health lounge at South by Southwest (SXSW) – an annual conglomerate of film, interactive media, music and health festivals and conferences in Austin, TX, kicking off this week – to educate attending consumer media and conference-goers about the harmful side effects of blue light and digital eye strain, as well as the lens technology solutions available.

Titled “The Time Out Lounge: Give Your Eyes a Break with The Vision Council,” the lounge – which will be located in the Austin Convention Center and open from March 10 through March 14 – will serve as a space where attendees can unwind from the conference’s many events and panels in a comfortable seating area outfitted with charging stations, as well as select food and beverages. The Vision Council staff will be engaging with visitors to spread the following messages, which are outlined in its official blue light/digital eye strain report:

What blue light and digital eye strain are;
The health implications of prolonged digital device usage on the eyes;
How blue light and digital eye strain can be combatted with specialized lens technologies;
That any pair of fashionable frames can be outfitted with these specialized lenses, so style doesn’t have to be sacrificed for eye health;
That an annual eye exam is the ideal opportunity for individuals to speak with an eye doctor about their digital device usage and formulate a unique pair of frames with lenses that suit their specific eye health needs.
The Vision Council is currently conducting outreach to news, health and technology media outlets attending the conference – like The Washington Post, Wired.com, “U.S. News,” Cheddar.com, BuzzFeed.com, INC.com and “NBC News” among others – to ultimately secure consumer media coverage surrounding this topic. Justin Bazan, O.D. and medical adviser to The Vision Council, as well as Jenn Falik, style guru and official ambassador of The Vision Council’s blue light/digital eye strain consumer outreach campaign, will be on-site throughout the conference to serve as expert sources to the media.

Further illustrating its messaging, glasses from select members of The Vision Council’s Eyewear & Accessories and Sunglass & Reader Divisions will be on display, outfitted with specialized lenses from Lens Division members featuring blue light-filtering and anti-reflective technologies. Attendees can try on different pairs to wear in an interactive photo booth, as part of a social media challenge The Vision Council will be executing throughout the conference.

Results from the lounge will be shared with The Vision Council’s membership following the conference. For more information about The Vision Council’s blue light/digital eye strain messaging, visit thevisioncouncil.org/des.