Do VLANs exist at Layer 2?

Could you please clarify for me, do VLANs exist solely at Layer 2 of the OSI model? I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept of how VLANs operate and it seems to me that they play a pivotal role in segmenting networks at the data link layer. However, I'm also aware that networking involves multiple layers and I'm wondering if VLANs have any influence or interaction with higher layers as well. Could you explain this in a way that's easy to understand for a non-expert like me?