These New Glasses Black Out the Screens Around You

Do you remember when Google Glass tried to turn the entire world into a screen? Google probably wishes you didn't, but that happened. How much simpler times were then, when the internet didn't feel like a dumpster fire and Facebook wasn't potentially killing democracy

It feels appropriate that in the ensuing four years we've arrived at IRL Glasses -- Google Glass' exact opposite. As you can see in the video (shown above) these shades use modified polarized lenses to black out the screens around you and hopefully save you a little brain space/potentially your sanity. Currently, they only block out LCD and LED screens -- e.g., TVs, computer monitors -- but the ambition is that the final product will block out all screens, including smartphones (many of which have OLED displays).

Head over to the Kickstarter page if you're interested in helping it along to that final phase and radically altering your experience in Best Buy. The Kickstarter only launched on Monday, but it already has around half of its $25,000 goal collected as of Tuesday afternoon. The page is run by Ivan Cash, founder of IRL and an artist known for putting up fake "no tech zone" signs in San Francisco. 

The glasses are inspired by the 1988 movie They Live, which features a pair of glasses that block ads. The design definitely has an '80s vibe -- which in a weird way means they have a 2018 vibe. And yes, they also work as normal sunglasses.

To be honest, though, it'd simpler to just go hide in the woods forever.

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James Chrisman is a News Writer at Thrillist. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @james_chrisman2.