Can sitting close to the television damage my child’s eyes?

Children can focus at close distance without eyestrain better than adults. They often develop the habit of holding reading materials close to their eyes or sitting right in front of the television.

There is no evidence that this damages their eyes, and the habit usually diminishes as children grow older. However, children with nearsightedness (myopia) sometimes sit very close to the television in order to see the images more clearly, so they should have an eye examination.