This is the IDEAL screen brightness for your mobile phone setting | The Times of India (2024)

For a generation that spends eight hours on laptops and rest on mobile, it is a question worth asking - how are our eyes responding to this overburdening? Well, the repercussions are out there with most people facing eyesight issues at a young age. However, to minimize the damage, many think that keeping screen brightness at the lowest is the solution. Is this true? If not, what is the ideal screen brightness level that affects your eyes the minimum?

IS TOO DIM THE BEST? Many believe that keeping the screen brightness of their phones as well as laptops at the minimum possible setting is the ideal thing to do. Many, in fact, keep their phones’ night mode on even during the day. However, opticians disagree.

HARMS OF TOO DIM BRIGHTNESS: If the brightness of your gadget is too low, you will end up straining your eyes. This happens because you may have to focus a little strainfully. Although, this will not cause any long term damage but can lead to headaches.

SHOULD YOU KEEP IT BRIGHT? Again, this is not ideal either. If you keep the screen brightness of your gadget at higher than 50 per cent, you still may not risk a permanent damage but many short term problems, such as digital eye strain, eye irritation and dry and fuzzy eyes.

IDEAL SCREEN BRIGHTNESS: Experts believe that the ideal screen brightness of your gadget depends on your ambient light. As a simple rule, remember that the brightness of your gadget should be equivalent to the light surrounding you, such that both the lights' radiance is similar. By doing so, they will blend in, causing the least damage to your eyes.

UNDERSTAND BRIGHTNESS AND CONTRAST SETTINGS: Check your phone and laptop brightness settings and don't forget to alter the contrast also. Contrasting it right can make a world of difference. For example, if you prefer a low screen brightness but are afraid of straining your eyes, you can increase the contrast of your gadget and it can solve the problem for you.

SCREEN TIME AT NIGHT: However, at all costs, avoid looking at your screens during your sleep time. Scientists have reason to believe that doing so can disrupt one's sleep as it affects the sleep hormone, melatonin. It isn't just that; this disruption can cause distraction and memory impairment the following day. However, if you have to use screens at night, make sure you do so with your room's lights on.

REMEMBER THE 20-20-20 RULE: Screen-ing is unavoidable today and having accepted this, there are ways you can still keep your eye health in check. One very effective rule is to work for 20 minutes on screen and then take a 20-second pause, during which you look 20-feet away, preferably at a wall.