Sunglasses & eye contact

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Does anyone use sunglasses as a way to avoid eye contact? You can either stare at someone while turning your head away, or face them and avert your eyes.

Is this a good way to deal with issues with eye contact?

I'm not sure. I think psychologically wearing glasses or sunglasses can make us feel as if there is a barrier between us and the person we are looking at but I don't think it actually fools the other person into thinking that we are making appropriate eye related gestures when we are not. I feel more comfortable when I wear sunglasses though and less anxious so there is definitely a plus side to it. I think people can still gauge where your eyes are looking though unless the glasses are extremely dark or mirrored so I don't think it'd be possible to stare or for people not to know where you're looking?

I'm curious to know what other people think though

I tried wearing dark glasses as a teen and I found that when I'd look at someone on the bus, no matter which way my head was turned when I did it, they could tell I was looking at them and started staring me down. So I figured to assume people can see my eyes even when I'm wearing dark glasses.

I'd gladly wear dark glasses to minimize eye contact but I am short-sighted and have to wear dioptric glasses all the time. Turns out you can't make corrective lenses dark enough though.

I wear sunglasses AND contacts I don't care about people, I'm just sensitive to light. But people told me they feel strange when I wear my sunglasses indoors.

Thanks, Valoyossa, that's what I did for quite a long time but I can't do it anymore, I'm allergic to most of the solutions used to clean or store contact lenses. I agree it is a good idea though.

I don't really like wearing sunglasses but they are one good way to shield yourself from the world. I live in UK so we don't get many opportunities to wear them.

Hehe Rob,

I live in the uk too and I wear sunnies at the slightest excuse of sun

Maybe not today as it isn't bright, but yesterday, defo!

Sunglasses take some of the eye contact pressure off and that's kind of nice. When I lived in NY it was one of the main reasons I wore sunglasses when I was out.

I don't instinctively make eye contact, but I usually do, as a way of trying to be polite. It's rude to look away when somebody's talking to you, and it seems like you're not being direct with them.

I used to wear sunglasses more often, only during summer, when there was heavy sunlight (same reason why everyone else wears sunglasses) but I stopped wearing them because people thought I was trying to be tough, by wearing them.

So it looks like... *puts on sunglasses* I'm shady.

YEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

I like wearing my sunglasses even when it's cloudy and rainy. I find it calming and it makes my eyes feel better.
As for eye contact, I told the first counselor I saw that I'd talk better if I could wear sunglasses, and she told that wouldn't be fair. So instead, I looked down and drew when I went to her sessions. It's weird because I seem to be fine enough with eye contact. It doesn't make any sense to me and I'm starting analyze it way too much now. At the same time I've been told I look down a lot and do the deer in the head lights stare. I keep obsessing about it now and I wish I didn't.