As annoying and disruptive as social media can be, don’t underestimate the power of a well-worded Twitter thread! Every once in a while, Twitter sheds light on important issues that may not have been addressed otherwise.
Such was the case with the new family movie “The Incredibles 2” and its possible effects on those with vision impairments. Certain people — especially children, people with epilepsy and those who are prone to migraines — can be very sensitive to extreme light displays on screens, and it’s helpful to be warned about strong lights before seeing a movie or show.
Twitter user Veronica Lewis — who also has a blog about her life with vision impairment — brought up the issue via Twitter thread:
HEALTH ALERT I haven’t seen this mentioned in a lot of places, but the new Incredibles 2 movie (#incredibles2) is filled with tons of strobe/flashing lights that can cause issues for people with epilepsy, migraines, and chronic illness. This thread is spoiler free
So, the villain’s weapon of choice in the movie is bright white lights that are at a rapidly flashing/strobing frequency, with the intent to disorient people. One of these scenes lasts over 90 seconds with continuous strobe light, other scenes last anywhere from 5-30 seconds
So, the villain’s weapon of choice in the movie is bright white lights that are at a rapidly flashing/strobing frequency, with the intent to disorient people. One of these scenes lasts over 90 seconds with continuous strobe light, other scenes last anywhere from 5-30 seconds
These scenes are also spread out across the movie and often come without warning. My descriptive audio device warned me about the larger scenes, but other times it was light strobe lights came out of nowhere for no reason.
Lewis starts the thread with “HEALTH ALERT I haven’t seen this mentioned in a lot of places, but the new Incredibles 2 movie (#incredibles2) is filled with tons of strobe/flashing lights that can cause issues for people with epilepsy, migraines, and chronic illness.” She goes on to describe a few of the scenes where strobe lights are seen for longer periods of time.
She makes it clear that these scenes could be triggers not just for those with photosensitive epilepsy but also “those who suffer from migraines, vision impairments, seizure conditions, vertigo (specifically flicker vertigo), autism, ADHD, and PTSD.”
I am not calling for a boycott of Incredibles 2, or to change the movie. It is very well done, and the strobe lights are an important point in the plot. I just wish Disney/Pixar and theaters alike would issue a warning that the movie contains several scenes with strobe lights
Video games, some music videos, live concerts, theme park attractions, and even consumer electronics provide warnings about strobe lighting effects and the potential for seizures and other adverse effects. Why not have the same thing be done for a movie targeted at kids?
Video games, some music videos, live concerts, theme park attractions, and even consumer electronics provide warnings about strobe lighting effects and the potential for seizures and other adverse effects. Why not have the same thing be done for a movie targeted at kids?
Parents have the right to make an informed decision about something that could impact their child’s safety and people with chronic illness have the right to learn about potential triggers/make steps to avoid them. Incredibles 2 needs a safety warning at the ticket window for this
Lewis devoted an entire blog post to the dangers of strobe lights. In the post, which has since gone viral, she explains why the continuous flashing and strobe lights can be dangerous to some, and she calls on companies and movie theaters to issue a warning regarding the lights.
“I would like for these companies as well as movie theaters to issue a warning to guests purchasing tickets that this movie has a significant amount of strobing lights that can cause adverse health effects, especially in young children,” she writes. “Families have the right to be able to make informed decisions about movies and to determine if this is safe for their children to watch.”
Now, thanks to Lewis, Disney has requested exhibitors to warn viewers that “The Incredibles 2” may cause issues for those with light sensitivity issues.
If you want to learn more about vision impairment, special education, assistive technology,and disability/chronic illness life, check out my blog, Veronica with four eyes! I share daily positive/practical posts for families, students, teachers, etchttp://www.veroniiiica.com
Thank you to everyone for retweeting this, writing articles, and signal boosting my message! My goal of having signs at the ticket counter was reached so that people can be warned about the flashing lights in Incredibles 2. pic.twitter.com/JljozWlojd
Way to go, Disney, for listening to concerned parents and ensuring that people are warned before watching this film.
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