Well, reading in the dark CAN cause eye strain, but it’s only temporary and it can’t cause any permanent damage. Still not a good idea, though.

I read books all year round and my eyesight is just fine Personally, I think people, like my friends use that as an exuss to get out of reading.

I’m probably young enough to blame the Game Boy Color. X3

Kinda what happen to me.

I personally think books ruining your eyesight is a myth, i can read books in what my family calls “near pitch black” and read them only 10 cm away, and i do this about 3 hours a day, yet i have an eyesight better then everyone else i have meet.

I’m pretty sure those things are true.
 
Monitors/TV screens: I think you’re correct that with the modern screens we have now, any risk is minimal.
 
Books: I do think it’s possible to strain your eye in ways that can ruin your eyesight - especially if you are a kid and develop a habit for it. Eg. reading under the bed covers with a torchlight (not so popular anymore) regularly means that you are constantly using your eyes to look very close, in relative darkness. I do think that stuff like that can contribute to short sightedness.
 
Similarly, I feel that working with a laptop rather than a large monitor for so long added to my own vision problems as well.

@Keith Mowz  
How old, 1950s? For many years CRT televisions had integral X-Ray shielding in their picture tubes (I should know, I worked on enough of them.) Flat-screen TVs don’t emit anything but light.

@RIG  
Well, reading in certain levels of light will hurt your eyes but I don’t think they’ll affect your sight.

Pfft, she turned into a princess, Hasbro says all princesses are perfect and don’t require glasses. Only lowly, mortal ponies who haven’t been graced as alicorns need pathetic glasses.

twilight’s like “Why the fuck are there two Spikes?!”

Get wings and phenomenal God-like powers. Spend all day reading.

@Background Pony  
Only the really old TVs emit harmful levels of radiation at any proximity. A modern TV won’t damage your vision even with your nose pressed against the screen.

@RIG  
I think it can only temporarily impair vision.

@RandomFanguy
 
Actually the radiation gotten from the tv can get so strong that you literally melt infront of it, but your eyes stay just fine.

It’s a myth, like people say that being too close to the TV will ruin your eyes.

@RIG  
Honestly, I have no idea if that sort of eye strain can actually damage your vision or not, especially not unless it was unusually small print.
 
Still, if it means Twi with glasses, I’m for it. :D

@RIG  
Myth really.

reading too much books ruins eyesight? is true?