World Report: April 12, 2002 Vol.7 No.22
- This Issue:
- Table of Contents
- Cover Story
- Cover Story - Spanish Version
- Mini-Lesson
- Comprehension Quiz
- Teacher's Guide and Worksheets
Turn It Off!
Spanish Translation |  |
On April 22, millions of TVs around the world will go blank. But instead of fiddling with the remote or calling the cable company, avid TV watchers everywhere will take drastic action. Entire families will go outside to ride bikes; groups of friends will play games. Will you join in—or will you just sit there and watch?
|  Lisa Simpson pulls the plug on her family in honor of TV-Turnoff Week on this special TFK cover. |
April 22-28 is TV-Turnoff Week. TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization, has promoted the annual event since 1995. In the beginning, only a few thousand people took part. This year, there will be participants in every state and more than 12 countries.
TV's Many Turnoffs
Each year, kids in the U.S. spend more time glued to the tube than doing anything else—except for sleeping! People have worried about the effects of TV ever since the 1940s, when television became popular. Over the years, health care groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association have voiced their concern. They point to studies that link excessive TV viewing to such problems as bad eating habits, lack of exercise, obesity and violent behavior.
|  How long can you last without watching television? |
Two weeks ago, a new study published in the journal Science gave fresh evidence of a connection between TV viewing and violence. Psychologist Jeffrey G. Johnson and his research team followed children in 707 families for 17 years. The researchers found that kids who watched more than one hour of TV a day were more likely than other kids to take part in aggressive and violent behavior as they grew older. Says Johnson, the link between TV, with all its violent shows, and aggressive behavior "has gotten to the point where it's overwhelming."
Others worry about the impact of commercials on kids. One study found that during four hours of Saturday-morning cartoons, TV networks ran 202 ads for junk foods. The steady stream of reminders to buy sugary soda, cereal and candy are one reason that more than one in eight American kids is overweight. Long hours sitting in front of the tube are another reason. "Almost anything uses more energy than watching TV," says Dr. William H. Dietz of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Enjoying Life, Unplugged
TV-Turnoff Network wants to encourage life outside the box. "We're not anti-TV," says the group's director, Frank Vespe. The goal is to help kids tune into real life so that "they won't have time for TV."
|  Playing baseball (or any other sport) is a great alternative to watching television. |
But this is an adult speaking. Is it really possible to live without SpongeBob SquarePants or 7th Heaven? Sarah Foote, of Burke, Virginia, says she made it through TV-Turnoff Week last year—and enjoyed herself! After a few days, says Sarah, 10, "I thought, 'Why did I ever need TV?'" Her brother Nathaniel, 8, agrees: "There are about 8,000 other things you can do."
Still, some kids can't picture life without TV. Christian Cardenas, 10, of New York City, doesn't plan on tuning out. "It entertains you on rainy days," he says.
Could you go without TV for a whole week? Says TV-Turnoff veteran Carly Cara, 11, of Niles, Illinois: "You're doing so many fun things that before you know it, it's over!"
