# Does reading in dim light cause myopia?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reading-in-dim-light-cause-myopia/525832>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 21, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reading-in-dim-light-cause-myopia/525832 "2010-01-21T13:35:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reading-in-dim-light-cause-myopia/525832/1 "2010-01-21T13:35:30Z")

</div>

I’ve heard it said that reading in low light levels can cause/exacerbate nearsightedness. Anyone have a cite to confirm/refute this?

According to [Wikipedia,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myopia) myopia happens when the eyeball is too long or the cornea too steep. It seems implausible that the intensity of incident light could directly influence these parameters. 😕

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-reading-in-dim-light-cause-myopia/525832/2 "2010-01-21T14:03:08Z")

</div>

Here’s a page with more info - [http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/2008/ReadingVision.htm](http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/2008/ReadingVision.htm)