Worldwide TV-Turnoff Week began Monday and ends Sunday
n By Heather Bremner
Staff Writer
Gilroy –Imagine: Thursday night without “The OC” Wednesday sans “Lost.” Or for the younger crowd no SpongeBob SquarePants or Saturday cartoons.
That’s what the sponsors of TV-Turnoff Week are asking individuals of all ages across the globe do this week. And apparently word has gotten out.
Since its establishment in 1995, millions of people across the world have participated, according to the TV Turnoff Network Web site. Luann even referenced the occasion recently, when the comic strip’s namesake recorded all her favorite shows in preparation for the week-long TV fast.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, one of the more than 70 national organizations sponsoring the event, recommends that children younger than 2 years old should refrain from watching television, while preschoolers should spend no more than one hour a day in front of the tube.
Despite research revealing that too much television can cause obesity, cuts into precious family time and negatively affect a child’s ability to succeed in school, the average American child watches about four hours of TV daily.
Also, since a child’s brain develops most dramatically during the first five years of life, the impact may be the greatest on young children, according to First 5 Santa Clara County, a child advocacy group and TV-Turnoff Week sponsor.
First 5 suggests that instead of crashing on the couch and zoning out to boxed entertainment, families engage in the following activities: reading aloud; drawing; playing; family-oriented exercise, such as walks or bike rides; visits to the library, park or museum; crafts; singing and dancing; gardening and story-telling.
Local families can also take advantage of a variety of activities offered by First 5 during April, which also happens to be the Month of the Young Child.
