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Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Turn It Off!

Spanish Translation

By Kathryn R. Hoffman

On April 22, millions of televisions around the world will go blank. Then, TV viewers everywhere will take drastic action. Entire families and groups of friends will head outdoors to ride bikes or to play. Will you join in—or will you just sit there and watch?

April 22-28 is TV-Turnoff Week. A group called TV-Turnoff Network started the yearly event in 1995. This year, people in every U.S. state and more than 12 countries are expected to take part.

Too Much TV
Each year, kids in the U.S. spend more time glued to the tube than doing anything else—except for sleeping. Many health care groups are concerned. Studies show that watching too much TV, with its violent shows and ads for junk food, may lead to bad eating habits, too little exercise and bad behavior.

Two weeks ago, scientists released a new study about TV viewing. The researchers found that kids who watched more than one hour of TV a day were more likely to show aggressive behavior as they grew older.

TV-Turnoff Network's goal is to encourage life outside the box. "We're not anti-TV," says Frank Vespe, director of the Network. The turnoff, says Vespe, will help kids tune into real life so that "they won't have time for TV."

Is it really possible to live without SpongeBob SquarePants and The Powerpuff Girls? Nathaniel Foote, 8, took part in TV-Turnoff last year. He says that "there are about 8,000 other things" to do. Think of how busy you'd be if you tried just 80 of those things!

Next: Can We Stop a War?