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Pixels become dead when they are damaged beyond repair; these pixels must be replaced by the manufacturer. Dead pixels appear black, and won't respond to gentle massage or monochromatic screensavers like stuck pixels. Dead pixels are caused by a number of factors; most you can take steps to prevent, but others -- like a factory defect that caused problems for PSP owners in 2005 -- are unavoidable.
Handle With Care
Whether you have a PSP Go or a PSP 3000, it's crucial that you take good care of the portable gaming device to prevent damaging the pixels. Avoid dropping your PSP, as a sharp impact can damage or dislodge the fragile liquid crystals that comprise the pixels on your PSP's LCD screen. In a similar fashion, avoid applying direct pressure to the screen. Pressing on the screen, especially with sharp, hard objects, also leads to liquid crystal damage and dead pixels.
Turn It Off
Turn your PSP off when not in use. Each pixel on an LCD screen is powered by a tiny transistor which passes an electric current over the liquid crystal to create its color. When the transistor burns out from overuse, the pixel won't appear as anything other than black, even if the liquid crystal that makes up the pixel is undamaged. Additionally, turning off your PSP when you're not using it can prevent another pixel problem: image persistence. This problem happens when you leave your PSP on a single screen for too long, causing the pixels to become stuck in a certain position and, hence, on a single color.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
Sony recommends keeping the PSP's LCD screen out of direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. Just as a constant flow of electricity can lead to a stuck pixel, so can the sun's rays. Additionally, a PSP screen that is left to bake in the sun may end up with dead pixels, thanks to the heat of the sun's rays and their impact on the liquid crystals that make up your pixels.