It's a well-known myth that we've all heard: sitting too close to the television will make you go blind. But where did the myth come from? Even an in-depth search of articles on the myth will only tell you two things: first, it's a myth, and second, it wasn't a myth in the 60s: some of the earliest television sets actually emitted radiation that you could measure with a Geiger counter. The articles draw the logical conclusion: pearl-clutching mothers, having heard of dangers from the 60s, simply didn't update their knowledge! Despite radiation only being a temporary fluke, these poor souls continued to believe that televisions were dangerous for decades longer.
I'm calling this article "Television Blindness" because over the last thirty years, we've become blind to the fact that scientists can be wrong. Studies can come to incorrect conclusions. And the so-called myth was anything but a myth in the early 80s. It was real science, with more than a little empirical support.
The working theory in 1984 was simple:
- Televisions convert electricity into EM radiation
- Because of the design of the power grid, this EM radiation strobes at 60Hz
- EM radiation strobed at 60Hz is biologically damaging, because it creates an EM field of sufficient strength to cause cellular damage
The Working Theory, Explained
To clarify, the "radiation" being discussed throughout is specifically not the kind emitted from "the first televisions ever invented." We're talking about late-70s, early-80s television sets - the kind you might find in any home - purchased off the shelf at your local Sears. I'll expand on each of the items in the working theory in turn.
1. Televisions Convert Electricity Into EM Radiation
This is a self-evident statement. Televisions convert electricity to light. Light is EM radiation.
2. This EM Radiation Strobes at 60Hz
This is a self-evident statement. The electrical grid provides power at 120V 60Hz.
Electricity is a "surge and withdraw" type of power. The peaks, occurring every 60Hz, are peaks because there are more...magic pixies... at that instant. The valley of the 60Hz wave is... fewer magic pixies. Analog televisions converted magic pixies into light. As a result, the output "strobed" every 60Hz, almost imperceptibly, but trivially measurable.
Responsible for this strobing effect was the flyback transformer, which existed on every television, radar, oscilliscope, etc. It allowed the picture to be continuously changed, providing the illusion of motion.
3. This Results in Biological Damage
It was believed, at the time, that this strobing effect was dangerous. It was and is well-known that electric field exposure can be dangerous (which is why substation electricians wear thicc PPE).
OSHA had specified that the threshold limit value of safe electric field exposure was 600 volts per meter; the Air Force specified 435 volts per meter. Note that these limits were for adults... working dirty jobs.
To clarify, the reason these limits were in place was that three prior studies showed biological effects from electric fields, including cellular and functional changes which were harmful and irreversible. I won't cite them here, because it should be obvious enough that using a transformer as a pillow will probably give you cancer.
Therefore, it is a reasonable conclusion to draw that a child should functionally never be in an electric field this strong, much less on a regular basis, without risking damage.
Scientific Support for the Claim "Sitting Too Close To TV Will Make You Go Blind"
Here are four contemporary studies that support the conclusion that sitting too close to the TV may expose the viewer to questionably-dangerous levels of EM radiation:
1. The Strongest Fields Measured Were At 60Hz
Published October 6, 1982 by the Canadian Center for Occupation Health and Safety:
"...video display terminals may produce electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields in nearly the entire NIR band. The highest intensity fields can be found in the low-frequency spectrum. All of these fields are known to produce some biological effect. The complex evaluation of all possible factors including combination of different fields and all other hygienic and ergonomic factors near video display terminals has not been done."
Dr. Karel Marha
In other words, there's definitely some electromagnetic radiation in a frequency range known to cause biological effects.
2. Strobed EM Fields Worse Than Using A Transformer Pillow
Published April 22, 1983, by the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (and notably, titled to raise awareness: "The Case for Concern About Very Low Frequency Fields from Visual Display Terminals")
"...the evidence shows that pulsed electromagnetic radiation has more biological effectiveness than continuous electromagnetic radiation. Effects have been noted at frequencies both higher and lower than the region of concern and at magnitudes both higher and lower than those observed around video display terminals."
Dr. Karel Marha, Dr. Barry Spinner, Dr. Jim Purdham
In other words, when pulsed, electromagnetic radiation causes more pronounced biological effects.
3. Alarmingly-high Electric Fields Measured Near Televisions
Published May 29, 1982 by Radiation Environmental Management Systems, Inc.
"They do emit very low frequency radiation to radio frequency which we consider higher than the threshold limit level or maximum permissible level. We recommend shielding and testing again for radiation emission in the 10Khz to 100Mhz range."
Dr. H.D. Sharma
Specifically, this study in particular provided an alarming measurement of electric fields near a television... at 230 volts per meter. More than half of what the Air Force said was too much for fully grown adults serving in the military. And their safety limit was for continuous fields -- but scientists had already established, pulsed fields are even worse and should have a lower safe limit, in study two.
4. 'Pregnant Women Should Not Use' was Official Guidance
Published February 25, 1983 by the Ontario Advisory Council on Occupational Health and Occupational Safety.
...there have been an increasing number of reports of a variety of health problems among operators of the machines... eyestrain, blurred vision, fatigue, insomnia, headaches, tension, nausea, irritability, depression, and sore necks, backs and legs... isolated reports alleging serious permanent injury... clusters of birth defects and miscarriages widely reported in the North American media...a precautionary measure should be taken; transferring all pregnant visual display operators to suitable alternative work.
Advisory Memorandum 82-VI
In other words, don't let pregnant women use televisions (or oscilliscopes, or radars) at work.
5. Because I'm Your Mother And I Said So
Given the evidence of danger, and guidance from the Canadian Government that pregnant women should not operate displays containing a flyback transformer (which every television had), it's no suprise to me that mothers asked their children to move back a few feet out of an abundance of well-deserved, scientifically-supported caution.
A significant number of them were likely told by their employer not to use displays while pregnant. This would have naturally filtered out through parenting channels and mom-gossip as "our safety guy said TVs are dangerous." That's not even a result of the grapevine -- the safety guy literally did say exactly that.
And yet, they were all wrong.
The next time you hear an ophthalmologist dismiss this myth as an "old wives' tale" with no scientific support, you be sure to tell them for me: science will make you go blind. You can cite me on that.