When TV was a new technology, many people were afraid that it would damage people’s eyes. Rather like fears about the microwaves causing cancer, many people kept their kids from watching TV for too long each day.
There has been a lot of study into this question over the years since someone first expressed concern over this issue. Many researchers, eye doctors, and medical professionals have weighed in on this issue. You might be wondering if you are damaging your eyes watching TV all day. Let’s find out.
Does TV Damage Your Eyes?
Thankfully for TV lovers, there is no known connection between TV watching and damage to the eyes. You cannot even injure your eyes sitting close to the TV or watching it on the screen on your phone.
Modern TVs are even less likely to damage your vision, and they can help reduce eye strain due to their vivid colors, clear picture, and balance between light and dark shades on the screen. There is some indication that you might be able to set up your TV to be too bright or too dim, which could cause eye strain, but otherwise, the TV screen itself will not injure your eyes.
You should be aware, however, that watching the TV for extended periods of time in the dark, holding the screen of your phone at an odd angle, or watching TV while sitting too close can still cause eye strain and fatigue. These are not permanent conditions, but many people do need to be mindful of the number of consecutive hours that they are sitting in front of the tube.
Kids should be limited to a few hours of TV a day as well, just to be sure that they are actually going outside and looking into the distance at objects for periods of time. The proclivity of everyone to sit and stare at close-up screens for work and entertainment can actually alter the way your eyes behave when judging distance, leading to an uptick in glasses and the need for vision therapy.
The TV Will Not Injure Your Eyes
While the TV cannot actually injure your eyes, it can give you eye strain. Make sure that you are taking the time to get up and look into the distance from time to time when you are watching TV. You should also be sure that you are not watching TV in the dark and that you do not have to squint or strain to see the TV. Make sure as well that you are blinking when you are staring at screens as we can often forget to do so and cause our eyes to become very fatigued.
The TV will not cause lasting damage to your eyes, but it can cause you to experience eye strain and fatigue without the proper mindfulness. Besides, getting up and looking into the distance is a great way to connect with the real world and take a break from the activity that you have been doing from time to time.
This article was last updated on August 18, 2023 .
