Does the TV hurt my children’s eyes when they sit too close?

Contrary to popular belief that close proximity to the television can damage children’s eyes, there is no evidence that it does. Children can tolerate eyestrain caused by nearness to the TV better than adults can, so they develop the habit of sitting very close to the TV. With time, children may abandon this habit. However, holding reading material close to the eyes or watching TV from close distances may be a sign of nearsightedness in some children.