My seating area is flush against the back wall.

Should I mount my surrounds on the back wall facing outward toward the tv, or put them on the side walls facing the seating area?

Thanks

My opinion only.

Get dipole speakers and place then on the side walls close to the back wall.

If you have to keep what you have place them on the back wall.

My advice is to experiment. As Brian Shannon noted, dipoles s/d definitely go along the side walls. But there's a lack of consensus regarding direct radiating designs. A back wall listening area presents some placement issues, so you might find that you have better luck with the speakers along the side. In any event, I suggest that you try both back and side wall placement and also try aiming the speakers in several different directions; e.g. toward the ceiling, toward the rear walls, etc. to increase dispersion.

Experimentation is the rule, however if you put the seat against the back wall (can this not be avoided?) then placement of the rear speakers must be such that they face the listener not into the room from that same position, in this case from the side I suspect. Such seating placement is terrible and negates surround sound as you can not truly be in the 3d soundfield only at it's edge.