1. Kids Just Can’t
Turn Off The TV
National TV Turnoff Week
Comes To An End
16-22 Sept
Today marks the end of National TV Turnoff Week (16-22 Sept)
in the US. Let’s see why this day has risen to prominence in recent years.
66%
Percent of Americans
50%
Percent of
70%
Percent of day
regularly watch children aged care centers use
television while 6-17 have TV's in TV during a
eating dinner. their bedrooms. typical day.
20,000 30-second commercials seen
in a year by an average child
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation
with their children
38.5 mins
N
E
D
U
I
T
N
FR
SA
TU
TH
WE
MO
SU
Hours per year the average American youth watches television
1,680 mins
N
E
D
U
I
T
N
FR
SA
TH
TU
WE
MO
SU
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school
900 hours
JAN
C
B
R
R
Y
JUN
JUL
G
P
T
V
MA
OC
DE
AU
MA
AP
NO
SE
FE
Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television
1,500 hours
JAN
B
R
R
Y
JUN
JUL
G
P
T
V
C
MA
OC
DE
AU
NO
MA
AP
SE
FE
Some alternative activities for children and families
Volunteer in a school to teach reading, Visit the library. Borrow a book.
math, computer skills. Attend library activties.
Learn to play the guitar or other
Go ice skating or roller skating.
musical instrument.
Attend community concerts. Listen to the radio.
Organize a community clean-up. Visit the zoo.
Put together a puzzle. Paint a picture, a mural or a room.
www.turnoffyourtv.com/turnoffweek/TV.turnoff.week.html
Free from TV week!
Does it sound quite challenging to be free from TV for a full week? Ironically, parents fail to notice the detrimental impact of
television on their children during the recent times.
Let us have a look at a few eye-popping statistics:
1. In United Sates, 66% of the people during dinner time like to watch television
2. TV is used in any typical day by approximately 70% of day care centers
3. A television can be found in the bedrooms of about 50% of US children who are aged between 6 years to 17 years
4. About 1500 minutes (weekly) is spent by an average child staring at the TV screen which is surprisingly higher than the time
spend in attending schools which is 900 hours/year (i.e. approximately 1038 minutes weekly)!
5. Children and parents are having constructive and meaningful conversation for just around 38.5 minutes weekly which is
less than an hour!
6. On a yearly basis, an average American youth is watching television for about 1680 minutes which is more than a day
7. About 20,000; 30 second commercials are being watched by American children every year.
Rather than sitting at home and watching television, families can have a great time with their children by
engaging in a few interesting activities which listed below:
1. Teaching computer skills, reading, maths or any other subject at school by volunteering for the same
2. Putting together puzzles which stimulates the brain
3. Visiting zoos
4. Playing a guitar, flute, piano or any other musical instrument
5. Roller or ice skating
6. Listening to radio
7. Attending community concerts
8. Organizing and participating in community clean-up
9. Painting rooms, mural, pictures etc.
You can use the link to find cheap televisions that have security settings to control what your child watches.
