These displays were more susceptible to flicker in light mode than in dark mode, thus possibly biasing the results against the light mode. However, Night Shift is only going to help with the harmful effects of blue light at night since this is when the filter turns on. It’s a question that I also got several times from attendees to our UX Conference. Copyright © 1998-2020 Nielsen Norman Group, All Rights Reserved. (2019). Blue light is another form of light that can be potentially harmful to the eyes. Protect your eyes from UV and sunlight when outside. Less Blue Light Before Bed Is a Good Thing. Is Night Mode on My Phone or Computer Better for My Eyes? Human Factors. The most common cause of cloudy ocular media is cataract, which refers to the clouding of the lens and is fairly common in older people. Inverted display mode for better viewing with less eye strain in dark or dim lighting. It can help reduce eye strain. Vision Research. Applications that require reading long passages of text will typically be harder to read in a light … (September 2018). Work in areas that are well-lit to decrease potential eye strain related to dim lighting. Night Eye is a browser extension that enables dark mode on nearly any website on the Internet. A new research conducted by scientists at University of Manchester has found that the Blue light filter used in the Night Mode is worse for your sleep as compared to the standard mode. In other words, does long-term exposure to one type of contrast polarity have any effects? Moreover, if an operating system provides a dark-mode API (like iOS does), make sure you take advantage of it — doing so will give those users who decide to switch to dark mode the ability to experience your application or website in their chosen contrast polarity. A. Aleman, M. Wang, and F. Schaeffel (2018). Accessibility,Web Usability,Visual Design,Human Computer Interaction. Even as early as 1977, a study by Sloan reported that some people with low vision prefer dark mode. To summarize, a dark-on-light (positive polarity) display like a Mac in Light Mode provides better performance in focusing of the eye, identifying letters, transcribing letters, text comprehension, reading speed, and proofreading performance, and at least some older studies suggest that using a positive polarity display results in less visual fatigue and increased visual comfort. On the “pro” side, a feature like Night Light really can help with eye strain, although its ability to improve, or at least not interfere with, your sleep will vary based on the individual. DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2016.11.001. Warm Light Bulbs Versus Cool Light Bulbs: Which Should You Buy? Oft referred to as night mode, high contrast, or inverted colors, the setting has grown popular with those who claim to experience eye fatigue from a deluge of white screens. Positive display polarity is advantageous for both younger and older adults, Ergonomics, DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2013.790485, Cosima Piepenbrock, S. Mayr, A. Buchner (2013). Still, it doesn’t hurt to try it out, especially now that it’s a free built-in feature of Windows. When you are outside, wear UV protection sunglasses or hats to keep the light out of your eyes directly. The main issues with CVS are eye strain, dry eyes, headaches, and neck and back tension. Eye strain has become a known issue in Windows, and it is well known now that the blue light emitted from your monitor is the cause. In order to understand how, let’s briefly review some basic information about the eye pupil and how it reacts to the amount of light in the environment. Recently, spurred by the introduction of dark mode in IOS 13, a reporter asked me to comment on the usability of dark mode and its popularity as a design trend. In particular, we will focus on two articles that involved two different types of tasks: one, published in 2013 in the journal Ergonomics, looked at visual acuity and reading performance, and the other one, published in 2017 in Applied Ergonomics, investigated performance for a glanceable-reading task — the quick reading of 1–2 words that people often engage in when they interact with a mobile phone, a smartwatch, or a car dashboard and that is involved in activities such as checking directions or attending to a notification. Raluca Budiu is Director of Research at Nielsen Norman Group, where she consults for clients from a variety of industries and presents tutorials on mobile usability, designing interfaces for multiple devices, quantitative usability methods, cognitive psychology for designers, and principles of human-computer interaction. Accessibility Assistance for Visually-Impaired People in Digital Texts. 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