03 Nov Should Your Phone Be In Dark Mode

For many of us, our digital device screens take up most of our day. From working on computers or laptops to recreational time spent on our mobile devices, we spend anywhere between 9 to 11 hours of our day looking at a screen. This may get you considering putting your phone in Dark mode to help cut glare and reduce blue light intake. But is this really better for your eyes?

What is Dark Mode?

Dark mode (or dark theme) is a setting on most smartphone devices that invert a colour scheme, essentially making all backgrounds dark and all texts light. Most devices come with the light mode as the default setting, but you can access dark mode through your phone’s digital display settings if you want to change it up.

Advantages of Dark Mode

Dark mode comes with plenty of advantages that you may not have considered before such as:

• Extended battery life: dark mode can actually save up to 30% more battery throughout the day, which means needing to charge your phone less often. This is extremely handy in public spaces where outlets and chargers may not be readily available.
• Reduced glare: Bright light from light mode can cause an irritating glare. Using dark mode will cut this glare and make it far more comfortable for you to look at your phone.
• Reduced exposure to blue light: Blue light can be extremely damaging to the eyes and can actually interrupt or inhibit sleep cycles. Most optometrists and eye health care professionals advise to avoid blue light as much as possible and to always wear blue light protective lenses.

Is Dark Mode Better for Your Eyes?

Dark mode is definitely far more helpful in terms of comfort in viewing your phone because it is far easier on the eyes than a stark white background.

Unfortunately, dark mode requires our pupils to dilate more in order to take in information in dark mode. When our pupils dilate, our sharpness of vision lessens, making it potentially difficult for some people to see in dark mode. If you have myopia, astigmatism or experience halation (light spreading to create a foggy/blurry appearance), you may have more trouble viewing things on your phone when it is in dark mode.

So, overall, dark mode is better for your eyes, but it may not work for some people. If you don’t know whether you should put your phone in dark mode or if you have certain conditions that would make viewing your phone or other screen devices difficult, visit your optometrist for a checkup. Dr. D’Orio Eyecare, optometrist in Toronto and North York, can help you manage computer eye strain and help you achieve the best vision possible. Call us today at either of our locations to book an appointment: Toronto location (416) 656-2020, North York location (416) 661-5555.