Eclipse moved forward: social media invents its own viewing guide
60 seconds staring at your car's headlight: the viral tip circulating alongside news that the eclipse has been moved forward. Real eye risk and plenty of mischief.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Eclipse moved forward: from the car headlight to the half-pair of glasses
A tip is spreading these days faster than the phenomenon itself: to watch the eclipse, stand in front of your car, turn on the high beams and stare at the headlight for 60 seconds. It is the most shared joke since it was announced that the eclipse date had been moved forward. The advice is, of course, a prank; the problem is that some people might take it seriously.
The change of date has caught much of the public by surprise. The official date has been moved, and with it has come a wave of memes and absurd tips. Among the gems of the conversation, highlights include asking the optician for a "half pair of glasses", or the sporting idea of calling on Marc Cucurella to 'head away' the sun. Humour eases the tension, but it also hides a real risk: looking at an eclipse without proper protection can irreversibly damage the retina.
Special glasses with certified filters, indirect projection or simply not looking at the sun are the safe options, as specialists remind us. On social media, however, the easy joke is what wins. Anyone who trinc the headlight tip will end up seeing spots for hours, and not because of the eclipse.
The only thing that has really been moved forward is the foolishness. And that, unlike the astronomical event, requires no eye protection at all.
A tip is spreading these days faster than the phenomenon itself: to watch the eclipse, stand in front of your car, turn on the high beams and stare at the headlight for 60 seconds. It is the most shared joke since it was announced that the eclipse date had been moved forward. The advice is, of course, a prank; the problem is that some people might take it seriously.
The change of date has caught much of the public by surprise. The official date has been moved, and with it has come a wave of memes and absurd tips. Among the gems of the conversation, highlights include asking the optician for a "half pair of glasses", or the sporting idea of calling on Marc Cucurella to 'head away' the sun. Humour eases the tension, but it also hides a real risk: looking at an eclipse without proper protection can irreversibly damage the retina.
Special glasses with certified filters, indirect projection or simply not looking at the sun are the safe options, as specialists remind us. On social media, however, the easy joke is what wins. Anyone who trinc the headlight tip will end up seeing spots for hours, and not because of the eclipse.
The only thing that has really been moved forward is the foolishness. And that, unlike the astronomical event, requires no eye protection at all.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (11 replies).
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