Dark mode is everywhere these days, and the backlash has begun. As Adam Engst points out over at TidBITS, dark-on-light backgrounds are better for readability. But “Dark mode can hurt your productivity” isn’t the final word. Dark mode is great.
The Case Against Dark Mode
Windows 10 and macOS have already embraced Dark Mode, and it’s coming to iOS 13 and Android Q. Chrome and Firefox have their own dark modes. Even File Explorer on Windows now supports dark mode. Once a niche feature beloved by geeks, dark mode is becoming a built-in option in every big operating system. That’s amazing.
But the critics are right—some of the promotion around dark mode is silly. Apple’s website says dark mode on macOS is “easy on the eyes—in every way.” That’s not entirely true.
Engst highlights vision research that demonstrates dark-colored objects on light backgrounds are easy to view. In other words, black text on a white background is better than white text on a black background.
He highlights studies that have shown black-on-white (“positive polarity”) text is more readable:
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.
Engst does a good job of highlighting the problems with dark mode and explaining why it’s not a good option for everybody all the time. Despite the hype, dark mode won’t necessarily help reduce eyestrain after you spend all day staring at a display. Dark mode isn’t a one-size-fits-all improvement for everyone. That’s why it’s an option—one that’s not enabled by default.
But let’s not abandon dark mode just yet: We love dark mode, and we’ve loved it since before the big tech companies embraced it. Dark mode has real practical advantages, too.
Dark Mode Is Awesome in a Low Light Environment
Dark mode is great in low-light environments. If you’re lying in bed reading something on your phone at night, it’s a lot nicer to read white text on a black background rather than have your face illuminated by a lot of bright white light. A dark black screen is a lot less disturbing to anyone else sleeping next to you, too.
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Source : Dark Mode Isn’t Better For You, But We Love It Anyway
