Is it bad if I use my Macbook Pro all day every day?

Question

Since my phone doesn't have internet and I have an addiction to reading stories online, writing stories, and Youtube (and sometimes Netflix) I was wondering if it was bad if I did that (sadly the internet is very addicting and it's terrible).

I've had it since near the end of August (2014) and I'm starting to wonder if it's bad. I only charge it either when the battery has 1% left or after it dies and unplug it after I notice that it's fully charged and shut it down before I go to bed. I think I remember hearing it's supposed to last for 12 hours, but sometimes it ends up having 6ish hours while on 90% (note: I don't have a good memory) though it goes up immensely when I do nothing and just listen to music on my iTunes playlist (sometimes 17 hours). Am I doing it right or should I just use it every few days?

? · Accepted Answer

I think you know the answer to this question already when it comes to your personal health.

Yes, it is bad to use your computer for long periods of time without regular breaks. You should also consider how long you are looking at your computer screen and the affect this has on your eyes, and also your sleep. Experts say blue light can affect people's sleeping patterns. During the night, you naturally start to feel tired as your body releases a hormone called melatonin, which blue light (and other bright light) can disrupt. It is very important you take this on board - your own health is more important than "reading stories online" all the time. Wouldn't you agree?

If you want to use your computer during the night, make sure the brightness of your display is set to a comfortably low level. You may also want to consider using f.lux (https://justgetflux.com) which can help by reducing the "blueness" of your display during the evening and night, which can subsequently help with sleep. It's a free application for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

Lastly, if you think you use the Internet too much, then you have two choices: take action and take breaks, or do nothing and keep worrying. You can only help yourself - do something about it!

I hope this helps you. Please note I am giving you advice in good faith from what I have learned from research, but I am not a medical expert so please do not take my advice as coming from a medical professional.

Regarding your computer, it should be just fine, don't worry about that too much. Look at it this way: if you use a computer for just an hour a day browsing the Web, it would be fair to say it might have a longer lifespan than a computer being used for 10 hours a day playing demanding games - but that's really more of a fact than something to be seriously worried about. Computers from reputable manufacturers should last many years. You should be more worried about your own health than your computer. Computers can be replaced quite easily, yes? What about your eyes? No.

? · Answer

No - its not bad but heat can diminish the battery's life. If you left it plugged in all the time that would reduce the heat load. When the battery is charging it can get hot. If its just charged all the time it won't get very warm.

Note that it can be bad for your eyes to stare a lit screen for hours and hours. That is why ereaders the benefit of ereaders - if they're not lit its not as much of a strain on your eyes.

Is it bad if I use my Macbook Pro all day every day?

2 Answers