Turn Off Your TV
FACTS
- 99% of all homes in the U.S. have at least one TV—50% have three or more.
- 68% of all 8- to 18-year olds have a TV in their bedroom and 49% have a video game player there as well.
- A person watches TV an average of 40 days per year.
- Children spend nearly 2,000 hours a year in front of a TV, playing on the computer, and playing video games, compared to 900 hours in school.
- 200,000 violent acts, including 16,000 murders, will be seen on TV by a child before their 18th birthday.
- Roughly 70% of all shows include some sexual content, with an average of five sexual scenes per hour.
- 57% of parents admit to having some degree of difficulty in getting their teens involved in meaningful conversations; and, 74% of parents are not sure their teens are even listening when they talk.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
- Turn off your TV today. Tape the “No TV” sign to all TV screens so that you don’t turn it on out of habit.
- Designate certain TV-free times throughout the week to reduce viewing hours.
- Remove TVs from bedrooms, the kitchen, etc.
- Make a list of activities to do besides watching TV―activities like reading, biking, swimming, walking, gardening, or socializing with friends. Then start doing them.
- Avoid using TV as a reward―this only increases its power.
- Be more selective about programming―choose history, travel, cooking, home repair/design, and other educational themes.
YOU MATTER
70% of people say that no matter how hard they try, they never seem to have enough time to do everything they need to do. Are you part of that 70%? If you gave up TV for just one day a week, you could exercise the recommended weekly amount necessary for healthy living, read over 20 books a year, or spend more time with your loved ones. Instead of watching reruns of Friends, go make some.
Comments
3 Responses to “Turn Off Your TV”Speak Your Mind
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I have a DVR, so I get to cheat a little. Seriously, this is a difficult one, also, especially in the winter time when everyone else is in bed, it is really cold outside and I have read a book already, there is just really nothing else to do. But in the summer, I can usually stick to this pretty well. I love taking late night summer walks or relaxing on my front porch, listening to the crickets and the creepers.
We dont pay for TV so I will have to turn off my computer for that day! hehe
In our afterschool program we will be doing the “No TV” week starting March 1st 2010. We have been trying to ween our k-5’s off all electronics for a month now and you are right, Jason, it’s been very hard for them. I think they are just as addicted to tv as an smoker is to nicotine. Scary…