Over the last few years, I’ve noticed something.

Maybe you have too.

After years of staring at screens all day, my eyesight is becoming increasingly irregular.

When I look at one small screen, then look up at a larger screen, then look at a newspaper, then look up to see something in the distance… my eyes are taking longer and longer to adjust.

My hypothesis was that today’s new normal of staring at screens all day is starting to affect eyesight in ways we have never considered before.

As it turns out, the science backs that up.

A study published in JAMA covering more than 335,000 people found that every additional hour of daily screen time raises the odds of developing myopia by 21%.

Global myopia rates surged from 22.9% of the population in 2000 to 34% in 2020. By 2050, researchers project nearly half the world, five billion people, will be myopic.

In Europe alone, 47.2% of 20-year-olds now have myopia compared to just 13.9% in the 1960s. The rate is too fast to blame on genetics. Screens are the primary driver.

As our lives evolve into an endless navigation of differently sized screens, our eyes are forced to adjust.

This is creating an entire generation of phone and screen users who will need to re-evaluate their prescriptions and get new glasses to accommodate the daily demands of modern screen use.

I just bought two new pairs of glasses. One pair for seeing far away and a second pair of prescription sunglasses for the car. My wife just got her first pair of reading glasses.

My youngest daughter just got two new pairs in preparation for leaving for college.

In the past, the thought of getting the entire family new glasses was daunting. But now there is a company that makes it as easy as ordering a movie on Amazon Prime.

That company is Warby Parker (WRBY).

Just head into any of their 323 retail stores, schedule an eye exam, pick out frames you can try on in person, and in a week your new glasses will arrive at your door.

In my case, they didn’t even dilate my eyes or put me through the other nonsense you remember from getting glasses as a kid.

The entire process was so remarkably simple… that I’m calling WRBY the Netflix of eyewear.

And the business reflects it. Warby Parker just reported their first profitable year ever in 2025, generating $871.9 million in revenue, up 13% from the prior year.

They are guiding for $959 million to $976 million in 2026, putting them on the doorstep of $1 billion.

They generate 54% gross margins. They just authorized a $100 million share buyback. They are opening 50 new stores this year alone, with a long-term vision for 900 locations across the country.

Store growth has been running at 17.6% annually over the past two years, among the fastest in consumer retail.

But here is the real catalyst that could trigger a significant move higher.

In May 2025, Warby Parker announced a partnership with Google to develop AI-powered glasses for everyday wear. Google committed $150 million to the deal: $75 million immediately and another $75 million tied to milestones.

The glasses will be built on Google’s Android XR platform and powered by Gemini AI. In December, Google confirmed the first consumer models will launch in 2026.

The play is a direct rival to Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which have been a quiet success. Sergey Brin has personally into the project, saying AI finally makes the concept viable in a way that Google Glass never was.

Now… let me be honest.

AI glasses have yet to go mainstream. Whenever I see someone wearing a pair, it practically begs for a punchline.

But Meta has already proven there is a market for this category. Google is committing real money and a 2026 launch date.

Warby Parker is the only company in the world that combines a trusted eyewear brand, 323 physical retail locations where customers can try things on, and a $150 million partnership with Google to bring these products to market.

Even without the AI glasses story, WRBY is a well-run growth business with improving fundamentals, and the stock is near an attractive entry point.

YOUR ACTION PLAN

An already strong growth rate could receive a major boost if AI glasses catch on this year. With the stock near $21, any dip under $20 per share looks like an attractive entry for a potential move back toward the $30 level it hit last December.

You don’t need glasses to see the clear opportunity here. Keep an eye on WRBY.