Question about television safety: how close is too close?

[audio]

I remember my father, when I was growing up, always telling me that it was dangerous to be too close to the t.v. "6 feet away to avoid radiation", he would say. I find myself repeating these words to my daughter, but nobody ever takes me seriously. What's the real deal here? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Steve Hoffman]

How close is your face to your computer screen as you are reading this?


Only the old TV's (like my Zippy) are radioactive.

[audio]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
How close is your face to your computer screen as you are reading this?


Only the old TV's (like my Zippy) are radioactive.


I've got a flat panel LCD, so it's a non-issue.

So in other words, I don't need to worry about my daughter sitting 2 or 3 feet away from a modern, color television?

[poweragemk]

My mother always told me that I'd ruin my eyes...maybe parents just like kids away from the appliances and make up stuff to keep them away.

[Craig]

Here's my "little girl" logging on. She's seven months old and it seems like only yesterday she was just learning how to play with the mouse......

[Craig]

Here's Zoey trying to make heads or tails out of Steve's explanation of "What Is A Gort". Maybe after she's watched TDTESS DVD she'll get it......

[Grant]

This was the scare when I was a kid. In reality, all you get is eyestrain, especially if you watch without ambient light.

I always watch TV or use the computer with the lights on.

Some warnings lose their validity over time because of technological improvements or disproval of previously believed truths.

[ascot]

Prix, here's an answer from the Straight Dope website:

Sitting too close to the TV (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_105.html)

[4_everyman]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Only the old TV's (like my Zippy) are radioactive.

A Zippy? Uh, Steve, you wouldn't be talking about a HOFFMAN Easy Vision TV like this one, would you? :D