Google Glass Can Cause Eye Pain, According to Google's Own Optometrist

Google's own optometrist has confirmed that the positioning of the device can trigger pain and discomfort in some users.

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Google Glass is generally thought of as being the domain of the insufferable but it turns out that looking like a tool isn't even the worst part of the head-mounted device. According to a BetaBeat report, Google's own optometrist has confirmed that the positioning of the device—just above the eye, rather than directly in front of it—can trigger pain and discomfort in some users. 

The site looked into the possibility of Glass-triggered discomfort after two of its writers claimed they felt sudden headaches come on after using the device. A cursory glance at Twitter revealed that other first-time users felt discomfort after using Glass, too.

“The only people who look up a lot are some professionals like electricians and painters,” Harvard optometrist Dr. Eli Peli said. “Most of us look either straight or down. It’s well known that up is less comfortable.”

“You’re on one leg [or the other] as you walk, but try to stand on one leg for a long time and you’ll feel tension, because you’re not using it how it’s normally used,” he said. “If you’re looking at the Glass for a minute, you’re holding it there for sixty times longer than normal.”

Dr. Peli claims that the pain goes away after the eyes become adjusted to the positioning. And, in Google's defense, it expects users to only briefly look at the screen above their eyes, rather than stare at it for extended periods of time. But since when have you known people to actually follow usage instructions?

[via BetaBeat]

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