Research has proven that wearing sunglasses boosts your ego.

No…really, a British study by Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at the University of London, reports that measurable psychological benefits can be gained from wearing sunglasses.

But is it really so? I think Dr.Wilson is looking to deep into the matter and suffering from ‘can’t-see-the-wood-for-all-these-damn-trees’ syndrome.

Its simple really…when do people wear sunglasses, when its sunny! and how do you feel when you are sitting in the sun – GREAT!! So you are feeling good, and I bet you feel, measurably, better. Is it just me, or is it really that obvious?

The study goes on to reveal that “People wear sunglasses because they feel they look good in them. You feel in control”. It’s funny, I’ve come across various studies on wildly different themes, and they all make reference to control. Why is control such a major part of the modern day psyche? That’s another discussion, I digress.

One interesting (?) point – “People report having additional courage to ogle when their gaze can’t be detected” – now I wouldn’t class it as ogling, but your glance definitely lasts longer when you wearing sunglasses, and there is no harm in looking, unless you get caught!

The main point of the study does stand up, don’t you feel cool when you’ve got your shades on?

BUT! (You knew there would be one…)

BUT! (and it is a very large BUT!) do we really need to spend money on this type of research? Is the ‘name of science’ a credible argument for this sort of work? What are the benefits of this, and how much of taxpayers money did it use? So why do these types of work still manage to get funding? Now I’m all for scientific research, but it has to have some sort of focus in benefiting society, be it now or in the future. The argument of always finding something better to spend taxpayers’ money will always ring true, but never more so than in the face of such a blatant waste of money.

Whilst I am sure this study does reveal some of the intricate psychological values that modern society foists on us, surely there are many more important things to worry about. In fact, I know there are.

Thank you, rant over.