TV Turnoff week 2010 begins April 19. Will you be participating this year?

American society currently has more televisions than people. There more tvs in the average American household than people. This is astounding to me. And do you know that a quarter of children under the age of two have tvs in their bedrooms? That, my friends, is craziness.

There are so many studies, and truly common sense, that tell us why watching too much tv at young ages is detrimental. For every hour of tv watched per day:

• there is a 6% increased risk of becoming overweight, unless the child has a tv in his or her room, then the increased risk goes up to 31%
• there is a 10% increased risk of developing attention problems like attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• children are much less likely to read at home
• the less well they do academically
• the less well they are socialized
• increased aggression, heightened fear, and less empathy among children exposed to violence on television

And many, if not all, of these exist when the tv is on in the background.

For my family we do watch some television, DVDs, use the computer, and have a Wii. We limit the time they are allowed to spend on all of these things, but I think they have some value, sometimes.

I am looking forward to next week to see what kinds of creative things they can fill their time with…. how about you?