Media prophylaxis: Night modes and the politics of preventing harm

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Summary

This paper discusses the concept of 'media prophylaxis', focusing on the development of technologies such as 'night modes' on devices, which are designed to prevent harm to the body's natural rhythms caused by exposure to artificial light, particularly in relation to sleep disruption.

Categories

Sleep and insomnia: The paper discusses the impact of artificial light from screens on sleep patterns and the development of 'night modes' to mitigate this.

Alertness and performance: The paper touches on the effects of sleep disruption on alertness and performance, and how technologies like 'night modes' aim to prevent this.

Depression: The paper mentions depression as a potential health consequence of exposure to artificial light at night.

Cognitive function and memory: The paper indirectly references cognitive function and memory by discussing the impact of sleep disruption, which can be affected by cognitive function and memory.

Shift work: The paper discusses the impact of artificial light on shift workers, who are identified as a population particularly vulnerable to sleep disruption due to untimely light exposure.

Phototherapy: The paper discusses the use of light in the form of 'night modes' as a form of therapy to prevent sleep disruption.

Lighting Design Considerations: The paper discusses the design of 'night modes' in devices as a response to concerns about the impact of artificial light on sleep.