Is watching TV in the dark bad for your eyes?

Question

Please answer with cold hard facts, please. I am having an argument over this with my brother. If you say "yes" just because your mother has always said that, don't answer at all please.

Answer 1

No. This is pretty obvious really - if the room is dark, you can see the light from the TV more clearly, with higher contrast. If the room is light, you will be watching the TV with lower (apparent) contrast due to the increased ambient light - ther may even be glare on the screen, which will make it even harder to see. Your eyes will work harder watching a light-emitting screen in a well-lit room than watching the same screen in a dark room. People have been watching huge bright screens in dark cinemas for years before TVs came along. I can't recall any eye-health warnings for watching films in cinemas.

You can get eyestrain from watching TV, and reading, and just about any activity that involves concentrating and focusing your eyes for long periods of time, but eyestrain is not usually thought to cause any permanent damage.

Answer 2

YES i am an eye Doctor and it is very bad for your eyes

Answer 3

Yes it is... my mom says so