Bored? Don't know what to do with your time? Get your friends or family together, go to the park or go hiking, do something fun --just don't turn on your TV. The 10th annual TV-Turnoff Week starts on Monday. The TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization, began the program in 1994 to get children and adults to watch less television so that their time is spent doing more productive things. This year, millions of people will participate and find much more interesting things to do besides sitting in front of the television. Experts are convinced that watching too much TV keeps kids from participating in healthy physical activities. The average household has a television on for 7 hours and 40 minutes a day! Kids spend more time watching TV than they spend in school. Turning off the TV gives you a chance to be with your family and friends. Going without it frees up valuable time that could be spent reading a good book, writing, drawing, or discovering something else that may interest you. There are many organizations that support TV-Turnoff Week, including The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, Girl Scouts USA, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.Even First Lady Laura Bush is a supporter. "Television is no substitute for a parent. It doesn't help develop language skills; it's simply background noise," says Mrs. Bush. Even kids who may not have liked going without TV have discovered the benefits. "I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week," said Drew Henderson, a student in Donora, Pennsylvania. Which is not the advantage of turning off the TV?
Giving you a chance to be with your family and friends. Sparing more time reading books. Developing language skills. Participating in healthy physical activities.