Between computers, tablets, and smartphones, we’re looking at screens more than ever before. Now over 4 billion internet users worldwide1, more than half the world’s population, spend up to a third of their waking lives on digital devices.

Research into consumer digital lifestyles and increasing visual fatigue led Essilor to introduce Eyezen™  in 2015 – a new category of lenses designed to enable everyone, whether they need prescription lenses or not, to relax and protect their eyes and enjoy connected life. Eyezen™ lenses incorporate two technologies: Eyezen™ Focus which helps adapt visual correction to the much closer viewing distances of digital devices and a light filtering technology which helps protect the eyes from harmful blue-violet light emitted by screens.

China has the largest connected population in the world: an estimated 97.5% of the country’s 772 million internet2 users connect via mobile devices. High rates of myopia mean that many millions of people also require corrective eyewear. Eyezen™ lenses were an instant hit among premium lens wearers in China who were won over by its double benefit of added visual comfort combined with blue-light filtering technology.

Essilor decided to widen access to Eyezen™ by developing a mid-range product. In 2017, Eyezen™ Lite was launched in China and Hong Kong – a lens with a simpler design that was produced with Group industrial partners like Seeworld Optical and Chemilens and widely distributed in vision care outlets.

China accounts for over a third of all myopic people in the world, partly for genetic reasons, but also because of the rise of the urban indoor lifestyles and digital habits. The introduction of Eyezen™ Lite has allowed Essilor to bring its innovation for connected life to many more consumers to reduce eyestrain and improve visual comfort and protection when reading on screens.

1 Global Digital Statshot 2018, We Are Social

2 China Internet Network Information Center(CNNIC) 2017