The IRL glasses block LCD en LED screen, which makes them appear blank. This way, you don’t have to be bothered by the distracting screens around you.
IRL
These glasses allow you to live ‘IRL’ (In Real Life!) by blocking the screens around you. The project has almost three weeks left on kickstarter, but has already been backed for almost triple the needed amount, showing society’s desire for a digital detox.
digital detox
Artist Ivan Cash came up with the idea for the IRL glasses after he and Scott Blew, friend and now head of product, noticed how many screens there were all around them in the world.
The glasses block LCD/LED screens through horizontal polarized optics. By flattening and rotating the polarized lens 90 degrees, light emitted by LCD/LED screens is blocked, making it look like the TV or computer in front of you is off.
The design for the glasses was inspired by the 1988 cult movie They Live in which the main character finds a magical pair of glasses that blocks ads and shows their underlying message.
Thirty years later, the need for a technology to block screens has grown. Research shows that the average American spends about 10 hours a day in front of a screen.
The glasses offer a chance at a digital detox, eliminating the distraction of screens all around you. Making it easier on the eyes, calmer in your head with the absence of stimuli and easier to connect with the humans around you as opposed to the screens that try to catch your eyes.
The glasses block screens, making a huge difference, especially in television stores. Source: BrightVibes
celebrating human connection
Ivan Cash has many other products, campaigns and movies to his name. His work revolves around technology’s place in society and human connection.
He was the brain behind the ‘No-Tech Zone’ signs in San Fransisco. These were intended to have people question their reliance on technology and the role it plays in society and our environment. His other campaigns involve around technology’s role in society as well; talk to three strangers before receiving the wifi-password, facebook sabbatical and Snail My Mail; where people transform emails into handwritten letters.
Other projects include the short film Agent of Connection, about a station agent who finds meaning through the simple act of saying hello.
Even a stroll through the streets can become an overwhelming experience due to screens. Source: BrightVibes
support the IRL glasses on kickstarter
Make sure you get a pair as soon as they're produced by backing their kickstarter. They already met their goal, so your screen-blocking glasses are a sure thing!