I’ve often heard people say that watching TV too much or sitting close to the tube can damage your eyesight. This is not true and is even considered as an eyesight myth.

According to my ophthalmologist (I’m myopic or nearsighted, if you must know), at the moment, there is no evidence that sitting close to the television will damage your eyes. What’s important is that you sit wherever your eyes are most comfortable and make sure that there is proper lighting in the area. Purchasing tv stands with height suitable to your relaxed eyesight state may help as well.

In general, he said that when watching TV or even reading, you should “give your eyes a rest” by looking away every fifteen minutes or at regular intervals. This is because our eyes are designed to focus at a great variety of distances, and the short breaks away from the tv or book will allow your eyes to focus on something far away. This in turn, will also help us avoid eyestrain or eye fatigue.

Remember, your eyes are a pair you’ll need for the rest of your lifetime. Once your vision is damaged, it will be hard to put into 100% functionality again. So the next time you watch tv or get engrossed in a book, do integrate regular breaks.