The Case Against the Dark Regime
The main advantage of dark mode apps is that they don’t shine as brightly in our eyes late at night. But there is also a drawback: Dark mode is actually more difficult to read and may contribute to eye fatigue.
Inthis video from Cheddar, Dr. Sam Pearce of the American Optometric Association articulates the case against the dark regime.
White text can also have a halo around it when it is set against a dark background. In fact, white text on a black background can be too contrasty, making the text even harder to read.
But regardless of contrast, any dark mode will allow your pupils to dilate. This is what our eyes do in dim light, and there is nothing wrong with that. But this makes it harder for us to focus our eyes (ask any photographer about depth of field). As a result, the ciliary muscle in our eyes has to work harder to shape the lens of the eye. In other words, you are more likely to get eye strain .
To prevent digital eye strain, headaches, and eye pain that can occur when reading from screens of any color, AOA suggests looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. In other words, take a break from your phone occasionally.
You won’t hurt your eyes by using Dark Mode all the time, but it’s probably best to use it sparingly. Dark mode is good for texting or occasional phone use, just like dark mode for watching videos or playing games that don’t require reading or observing small details. But if you’re going to take the time to scroll through a wall of text, it might be better for your eyes to see dark text on a light background.
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