Why to Turn Off a Monitor
There are a variety of good reasons to turn off a monitor when you aren't using it. There's no reason to leave an inactive monitor on, even if you have a proper screensaver loaded. Not only is leaving a monitor on when you aren't viewing anything on it wasteful in a few different ways, it can also cause you other problems as well.
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Conserve Energy
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The first reason to turn off a monitor that you aren't using is to conserve energy. Monitors, especially flat screen LCD monitors, burn through a lot of electricity. This can add a significant amount to your energy bill every year. If you have an air conditioner running, and it is trying to maintain your room at a certain temperature, then the heat given off by your monitor will make the cost even higher. By not turning your monitor off at night, you could be nearly doubling the amount of electricity you use.
Preserve the Monitor
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Another good reason to turn off a monitor is to make it last longer. There are components in most monitors that are only designed to work for a certain number of hours. So when you leave your monitor on needlessly, you could be greatly limiting the number of hours that these components will be working to allow you to actually use the monitor. The cost of buying a new monitor prematurely should also figure greatly in deciding to turn off a monitor when it's not in use.
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Safety
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Safety can be a concern when leaving a monitor on unattended. Since the monitor uses so much electricity, a surge is even more likely to cause damage or other serious problems if you leave the monitor on unattended. This is especially true of monitors that use LCD screens, since these can get very hot if left on for a long period of time. Having that much heat around without being aware of it is a risk.
Privacy
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If the monitor you're using is in a public place, such as in a library or school computer lab, it's a good idea to turn off the monitor if you're going away from the screen for a bit. This can also be the case even if you are using your own computer in a place with other people around, such as a college dormitory. There may be private files on the screen that you don't wish others to see.
Other Reasons
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A few other good reasons to turn off your monitor would include the fact that some Web pages, and even some hidden spyware and viruses, may cause images to appear on your screen when you aren't there. This is especially the case if you happen to be at work or in another sensitive, public area. You never know what possibly offensive things may pop up on your screen when you aren't around.
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