There’s no doubt that television viewing is a huge part of
American life. We’re stuck on shows like
”
American Idol
”
or
”
Dancing with the Stars,
”
anxious to find out if our favorite contestant will get the boot
or make it through to the next round.
By Julie Englehardt Special to South Valley Newspapers
There’s no doubt that television viewing is a huge part of American life. We’re stuck on shows like “American Idol” or “Dancing with the Stars,” anxious to find out if our favorite contestant will get the boot or make it through to the next round. We use our TVs in so many ways: to unwind after a long day at work, as a ‘babysitter’ for our kids when we’re doing household chores or driving in our car, or simply as entertainment when our creative juices are zapped and can’t think of anything else to do.
But imagine what life would be like if we turned the tube off for just one week. Could we survive without “Survivor” or “do the right thing” and live without Dr. Phil for seven days? Well, if you and your family are up to the challenge, then the folks at the Center for Screen Time Awareness and the TV Turnoff Network are hoping you’ll pull the plug on your viewing habits during their annual TV-Turnoff Week, April 23-29.
The TV Turnoff Network, founded in 1994, is a nonprofit organization that encourages children and adults to watch less television and asks them to find alternatives to being a couch potato. Studies have found that watching too much television can contribute to problems such as obesity in children, lower test scores in class and poorer reading levels.
According to the Web site Turnoffyourtv.com, the average child views 20,000 30-second commercials a year. On top of that, they report that the average American youth watches 1,500 hours of television per year and that 70 percent of our day-care centers use TV during a typical day.
So, maybe it’s time to toss the remote aside and take a stroll around the block, paint a picture or clean out a closet.
Peter Gutierrez, assistant superintendent for the Hollister School District, agrees with the philosophy behind the TV-Turnoff Week, and said it’s a good idea to get kids away from television, computers or any type of electronic device, even for just a short while.
“Having a week free from television would challenge families to be creative, and to bring out card games, puzzles and other activities so that parents and their kids can spend some quality time together,” Gutierrez said. “Or at dinner time, families could really sit down and communicate with one another. It’s so important for children to have other options besides tuning into iPods or their Playstations.”
Keeping tabs on television viewing in her home has never been an issue for Hollister mom Tami Erickson. She has always limited the amount of TV her kids watch, as well as the type of programs they see.
“My kids are not allowed to watch any primetime channels at all,” Erickson said. “The TV only goes on between 3 and 9pm in my house when I am drying hair after a bath, and they are allowed to watch Animal Planet for 30 minutes. They have never seen the news, CNN or any other channel during the evening.”
Erickson has many nonelectronic diversions available for her daughter and son, like a tree swing and homemade sand pile in their backyard, and they like to ride bikes. Her children play board games, such as those made by Cranium, and they enjoy the classics such as Kerplunk and Don’t Break the Ice.
Mari-Anne Gallagher of Gilroy curtails her children’s TV viewing habits, too. She does let them watch “Little Einsteins,” “Blues Clues,” “Dora the Explorer,” “Barney” and programs she feels have content appropriate for their age range or that convey an important message. Gallagher says that her 3-year-old son loves “Thomas the Tank Engine,” so she lets him watch those programs on DVD.
“My 6-year-old daughter will often watch the same type of programs that my 3-year-old does,” said Gallagher. “I haven’t exposed her a lot to shows like ‘Hannah Montana’ or ‘That’s So Raven’ because they talk in more mature ways. I think there’s plenty of time for that.”
Emilie and Mike McLaughlin of Morgan Hill have two children, ages 5 and 7, and TV is something that isn’t that crucial in their lives. Their 7-year-old has school during the week, along with tennis, dance and horseback riding lessons. Their 5-year-old son occupies his time with taekwondo. When the kids do have a chance to watch TV, the McLaughlins are very particular about what they see.
“My daughter likes shows like ‘Modern Marvels’ and ‘Planet Earth,'” Emilie McLaughlin said. “It’s not like they’re watching a sitcom, but they’re watching more educational and informational programs.” The McLaughlin kids don’t watch videos or movies during the week; only on the weekends or when they’re sick.
Emilie is whole-heartedly in favor of TV-Turnoff Week.
“I think it’s a really good idea,” she said. “There are so many children who are obese, and with TV you’re just sitting and watching and not moving around. I think this is a good week for parents to take the opportunity to be more involved in their kids’ lives. Do something like talk, walk and play, ride bikes and have fun.”
If you’re in a quandary as to how you can fill those long hours, check out the Web site for the St. Helena Public Library in St. Helena (www.shpl.org) where you’ll find 100 alternatives to watching TV. This site is good for kids and teens, but many of these activities require parental involvement – meaning adults will spend less time in front of the TV, too. Suggestions include read a book, plant a garden, paint a rock, fly a kite, write to the president of the United States, make a rubber band jump rope, collect urban rubbings of buildings and sidewalks, plan a family bike ride or go on a trash scavenger hunt at your local park.
Has it been a while since you’ve been to our local libraries? Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Hollister have hundreds of great books for you to check out for free. Plus they offer programs for younger kids as well as some for teens. The chambers of commerce and newspapers are a great place to find out about community activities suitable for the entire family. They’ll give you information on fairs, festivals, pancake breakfasts or other local events. Or, just gather your neighborhood together and plan to have some nonvideo gaming fun with your friends. Before you know it, you’ll see that you can actually endure an entire week (and even longer) without television.
For more information television and the family, log onto the Web site for the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org/family/tv1.htm.
