Musings

Glasses vs. Contacts

Glasses. An accessory that most teenagers dread needing and having to wear because of the nuisance value it carries. To hear that you need them, is basically a slap in the face, saying that I have watched too much television, played too many video games, or was on the computer for way too long. Not only does their onset prove your parents to be right, but they are also a constant reminder and a showcase of your bad eyesight. However there is a way around them, for the lucky ones that is. There is a savior: the contacts. This lens that is directly inserted onto the eye is an escape from the ugly and inconvenient glasses, at least for some. However, it is debatable whether contact lenses are better than glasses or is it just that they are less conspicuous and thus the more attractive option for young adults who are afraid or self conscious of wearing glasses.

With glasses, one must always be careful not to break, scratch, or dirty the lens. Everyone knows that the cleaning of the lenses is definitely the biggest hassle. The lenses of your glasses never seem to remain clean. Clleaning them regularly during the course of the day is a necessity because no one, other then someone who is depressed, would want a perpetually bleak and dirty view of the world. However it is not only their upkeep that gives glasses their bad reputation, they are also the mother of all nuisances. They force you to keep your head at an angle because of the constant threat of them sliding off the nose. As a result one is left with this ungainly habit of continuously pushing the glasses back up. Another problem glasses prompt, although usually only for someone who has just gotten glasses, is that it is very easy to forget they are there. The result of this forgetting could be laborious; yet another cleaning, or then costly; you might need to replace your broken glasses, but most often it is embarrassing; just looking really stupid. It would have helped if the nuisance value of glasses were to end there, but no, there is the aesthetic component that is all important to young adults, and one that glasses affect in a big way. Have a person who has had glasses for a long time remove his glasses and what hits you are the deep sunk eyes that make one look tired and ill. The imprints on the bridge of the nose, a result of the rim pads, obviously don't do much for the face either; probably why modern glasses have become lighter and needless to say more expensive. In the young adult world, glasses, the traditional sight aids are losing out to the more aesthetically pleasing contact lenses.

Contact lenses are known as the alternative to glasses, but are a different story altogether. Unlike glasses, they are placed in the eye, and are virtually invisible; therefore making sure there is nothing to break on ones face. The most recurring reason for people to wear contacts instead of glasses is that they feel their appearance to be more attractive with contact lenses than with glasses. Teenagers will keep nagging their parents making it seem that contacts are a necessity. However, contacts offer much more than an upgrade on appearance, as most teenagers believe. Contacts are less affected by wet weather so there will be no water droplets tolook through while walking home on a rainy day after soccer practice. They also do not steam up in the shower area after swimming, thus allowing one a clear vision and not having to wipe the lens. The greatest advantage however is that contacts provide a wider field of vision than glasses do, therefore giving a better peripheral vision; which is an absolute necessity for any teenager for a variety of reasons. For example, they offer a crystal clear view of the answer booklet on the adjoining dask without having to turn ones head. Being that contacts are not on your face like glasses, one can play sports without the worry of breaking them. This also means there is no need for those notorious athletic goggles, that look incredibly goofy. Not to say that there aren't stylish glasses available; glasses are available in a wide range of styles, materials, and even designer labels, but they are still glasses; something parents just don't seem to understand!.

Despite the fact that glasses will always remain in existence for many years to come, contact lenses seem to be the product of the future, and soon enough kids will not dread a failing or faulty vision.

posted by thethoughtless @ 4:58 PM