The Next Best Book Club discussion

I spend a lot of time reading on back-lit devices, but from time to time pull out my kindle (e-ink) or a paper book and read at night - usually with a really dim light so I don't wake my wife. I've lost track of whether it being bad is an old wives' tale or not? (Set up a poll to see what GR readers believe)

I don't do well without a well lit room when I am reading. I find myself squinting and my eyes get tired in a dim room. For this reason I read in a well lit space. I don't know if reading in low light is and old wives tale, but i know it doesn't work for me personally.

I was starting to wonder if reading all the time on my nexus and phone was affecting my eyes and vision!?!
apparently backlit devices expose us to lots of "blue light", this trick the brain into thinking it is daytime, if reading at night, this can affect your sleep patterns!
I thought my eyes were getting tired!! I do try to read on my kindle more as a result, but you can get blue light filter apps, tho I'm not sure how well these work!

Mark wrote: "you can get blue light filter apps, tho I'm not sure how well these work!"

They make a big difference actually. There are glasses with the same function for people who spend a lot of time before screens, but just for a tablet that's perhaps a bit extreme. (If you do spend a lot of time in front of a computer, there are also applications to dim your display when the sun sets.)

My optician told me that reading in dim light won't affect my eyesight but will give me a headache.
Now I am starting to need reading glasses but haven't yet got round to bifocals I find reading small type with my ordinary specs requires strong light otherwise a candle is enough for me.

When I'm working on the computer a lot or Kindle I find my eyes get dry and start to hurt. I found Best Buy has glasses to wear when spending a lot of time on the computer to protect the eye. Haven't tried them yet though, don't know if I will.

Well since the poll settled it -- dim light is bad for your eyes -- let's unsettle it. Haven't people been reading for centuries? Weren't gas lamps in wide use before electric lights? Unless an optician (thank you Esther) or optometrist or ophthalmologist gets in on this discussion, I'm not going off the poll. I camp a lot, reading and writing by candlelight and red light. All readers should settle the question themselves by personal experiment before believing that old wives' tale.

Forget the poll, ask your optometrist or ophthalmologist. I think you'll find that the answer is that it's not bad for your eyes, since that's what ours told us. This is right up there with the myth that if your teen or child doesn't want to wear a jacket they'll get sick. (Still smart for them to take one along just in case when it's cold/cool out)

Karin wrote: "This is right up there with the myth that if your teen or child doesn't want to wear a jacket they'll ..."

Reminds me of the definition of SWEATER - what you wear when your mother is cold.

Book Concierge wrote: "Karin wrote: "This is right up there with the myth that if your teen or child doesn't want to wear a jacket they'll ..."

Reminds me of the definition of SWEATER - what you wear when your mother is..."

Love the sweater definition!

I don't think it actually harms you. It might tire your eyes. Anti-fatigue lenses are supposed to help with reading from screens, according to my optometrist who was trying to sell me anti-fatigue lenses. ;-)

Book Concierge wrote: "Karin wrote: "This is right up there with the myth that if your teen or child doesn't want to wear a jacket they'll ..."

Reminds me of the definition of SWEATER - what you wear when your mother is..."

I always laugh that when I was a child my mum would say' Brr I'm cold. Esther put on a jumper." I spent a lot of my childhood feeling over-heated!

Adriana wrote: "I don't do well without a well lit room when I am reading. I find myself squinting and my eyes get tired in a dim room. For this reason I read in a well lit space. I don't know if reading in low li..."

Me too. I have to be in a well-lit room as well.

Now four years wiser (I hope!) I think there's no issue at all with reading in bad light. I think it is a 100% an old wives' tale. Dim light is probably soft and good for your eyes. Now what's bad is I'm constantly reading on a backlit device (my phone) but I turn the anti blue light filter on. I should really migrate back to e-ink, but it just feels clunky. I wish someone would invent an awesome e-ink phone, maybe one side a touch screen normal phone, other side e-ink reader! 👍