Smartphones have changed the way we live. With the onset of the internet on mobile phones and high-speed connections, people can now do wonders through such a small device. After the Pandemic outbreak, the importance of mobile phones became even more crucial. People need nothing but their phones while being confined within the four walls of their sweet home during the lockdown period.
Be it young professionals, senior citizens, or school-going kids, digitalization escaped us from the isolation of this wrecking virus. So, all in all, our screen time i.e how long we are using mobile screens, is increasing. To resolve this, almost all smartphones have an option to turn on ‘Dark Mode’. Let us understand more about dark mode and find the answer to the question Is dark mode better for your eyes or not?
What is Dark Mode?
Dark Mode is the feature of the latest Android and iPhone smartphones that inverts the colour scheme of your mobile phone. In the usual theme, the background of your screen is white and the letters are dark. But in the dark theme, there is vice versa to this formula. In the dark mode, the background of the screen is dark in colour and letters will display light. The option is nowadays present in every mobile phone and You can keep it on or off, as you wish. If you turn on the option of dark mode, it will overlap the features of all the apps and by default apply to all the apps.
Although, if you are using the latest Android or iOS device, there are chances that the feature will be present on your phone already. But if not there, you may find a similar option with another name or it might also be possible that your phone is not upgraded and so the option is not there.
Why do people use dark mode for their screens?
Dark Mode is designed and added to smartphones to reduce vision issues among kids and people using screens for longer hours. In the modern digital age, when cutting yourself off from screens seems impossible, using dark mode is a better way to protect eye strain, cut glares and reduce blue light.
Here the idea is to reduce the amount of light emitted through screens and maintain the right contrast of colours to improve readability. Meanwhile, dark mode is also known to prolong battery life and bring an amazing visual feel. Read on to know how you can find dark mode useful for you and your eyes.
Advantages of Turning on The Dark Mode
According to experts, Dark Mode is quite useful for people who wear spectacles or are often worried about their eyesight becoming weak with longer screen usage. The addition of Dark Mode to smartphones is for the betterment of the device quality and user’s eye strain. Know here some of the advantages of Dark Mode.
Extend Battery – Enabling the option of Dark Mode boosts the battery of your phone by 30%. This Saves your time and energy to charge your phone from time to time. The idea of turning on dark mode is great when you are travelling or out of your home and can’t charge your phone. In that case, you can simply use dark mode to save battery drain.
Protect digital eye strain – Bright screens of computers and phones are also known to strain your eyes. Thus heavy users often switched to dark mode display settings on their devices for reducing eye fatigue caused by this screen. However, protecting eyes with dark mode can only help to some extent. Besides using it we also suggest opting for blue light glasses to reduce digital eye strain.
Ease of Reading – Since dark mode contrasts with the background and text colours, it will be easier for you to read the text without putting stress on your eyes. Human eye structure is such that whenever it looks like white text written on black background, the pupil dilates and takes in more light. Technically, this is called visual acuity.
Reduce Blue Light – Digital screens emit blue light so users’ eyes are exposed to blue light while using the phone. Dark mode adjusts this colour spectrum through the emission of red and orange light. Let us tell you the science behind Blue Light.
All humans have a circadian rhythm which we usually understood as the sleep-wake cycle. Blue light helps in keeping this cycle running smoothly. Apart from this, there is a hormone in our body named melatonin which is responsible for setting up our body clock. According to the expert, if after dark, human vision is exposed to blue and green light within the wavelength of 400-500 nm, The emitted light will affect your sleep or lead to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Breaking down this complex science into simpler words is that dark mode manages the exposure of blue light that may cause harm to our eyesight in the dark. However, along with dark mode, lights outside the phone i.e lights around the user should also not emit blue and white light excessively.
Worried about blue light exposure at night? Don’t panic, blue light blocking glasses and filters can offer the solution to block blue light and ease the digital strain.
Disadvantages of switching to the dark mode:
- The dark theme with the white test is not always good for eye strain and when the surrounding is bright, the dark mode may increase eye fatigue.
- Reading long pieces of content can be challenging with the dark mode on.
Is dark mode better for your eyes?
Dark Mode is a nice option that can mitigate the stress of your eyes caused due to the digital screen to some extent. Besides that, it also gives an all-new look to your mobile phone and computer screen interface and other apps. However, it is not at all said that using digital screens for long will not have any ill effect on your eyes just because the option of Dark mode is activated. Note that dark mode is unlikely to protect the eye against symptoms of eye strain, say headache or dry eyes. To better protect the eye and treat eye strain symptoms, doctors recommend.
- Giving eyes the frequent break from the screen after every 20 minutes.
- Adjusting text size to make them easier to read.
- Wearing computer glasses, anti-refractive or proper prescription glasses for eyes.
- Use artificial tear drops to remove the dryness of the eyes.
Seek a doctor’s advice, if these prevention tips aren’t working to ease symptoms of eye strain and dry eye.
