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
The adverse impacts of television especially on children cannot be ignored in today's world. As per current statistics, about
66% of American people have a habit of watching TV while eating their dinner. Approximately half of the US children between 6
to 17 years have a television set in their bedroom. TV is used by 70% of day care centres during a typical day.
The surprising fact is that an average child in US watches 30 second commercials 20,000 times in a year! On the contrary,
parents are just spending 38.5 minutes on a weekly basis in having a meaningful conversation with their children. The average
American youth is spending about 28 hours (1680 minutes) on a yearly basis watching TV. The time spend in school is about
900 hours per year. Another shocking fact is that an average child is spending 25 hours (1500 minutes) on a weekly basis
which is more than a day in front of the TV set!
There are quite a few constructive yet entertaining activities which families can enjoy with their children rather than sitting in
front of the TV set. Some of them are visiting a zoo, listening to the radio, putting together a puzzle, organizing a community
clean-up, attending community concerts, learning to play musical instruments such as a guitar, visiting the library, go for roller
skating or ice skating, volunteering to teach reading, mathematics, computer skills etc. in a school, painting a room, a picture
or a mural etc.
This infographic supports the Comet range of cheap televisions.