Even with the "backlight" it's far less harsh than an LCD or OLED panel because it's not actually a back light, e-ink display have a "frontlight" that actually directs the light back at the display instead of from behind it facing outward towards the user
FYI ereaders don't emit light even with the light on. They use lights hidden on the sides under the bezels, and that light gets distributed above the screen using a kind of gel layer. The screen then reflects that light back.
Isn’t the device emitting light though, if not the screen itself? I don’t know if there is a technical definition of “emit” that is narrower, but I just meant that there is one time where the device itself is the brightest thing in the room and dark mode reduces that.
Yeah I guess that's fair, but I think that the fact that the light isn't directly shining in your eyes but is reflected, makes quite a difference. Still, use whatever mode feels most comfortable to you! Just sharing knowledge.