I was a kid in the 1960’s and was always told to not sit too close to the TV because it would hurt my eyes and I would need glasses. I tried not to sit too close but ended up wearing glasses anyway. I doubt this was due to the TV except now that I think about it neither parent wears glasses. Was there a good reason in the early days of TV to keep a good distance between the viewer and the TV set or was this just some old wive’s tale?
Some soon-recalled TVs in the 60s produced unhealthy amounts of radiation, and sitting real near risks causing eyestrain, but no permanent eyesight damage.
A short article I just found on the subject.
A thread about theradiation issue.
I read in a 1968 issue of TV Guide that the government planned to investigate whether excess X-Rays produced by color TVs could damage eyesight. The existing research indicated it did not, but that some pediatricians still recommended keeping kids a couple of feet away from a color screen. Doubt any real evidence was found, but does explain people’s worries.
I recall reading about this problem at the time. IIRC, the excess X-rays were not generated by the CRT, as you might expect, but by the EHT rectifier valve.