A report earlier this year by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average child in the United States between the ages of 8 and 18 years old spends just over 10 1/2 hours a day (10:45) using some type of entertainment media (screen time), including watching TV, listening to music, playing video games, and surfing the internet, etc.
Considering those statistics, it is easy to see why the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages everyone to participate in Turnoff Week and 'go for a week without screen time.'
Many people probably think that really going a week without any screen time is unrealistic for the average family, and if you are one of those people, keep in mind that kids who get too much screen time are more likely to get poor grades, less likely to get along well with their parents, and are more likely to report being sad or unhappy.
My kids probably get too much screen time, as they do like to watch TV and play games on their iPods and PlayStation. On the plus side, they would rather play outside, they are very active in at least one sport each season, and they do well in school and like to read. Instead of cartoons or other shows, they have also gotten to where they mainly like to watch sports on TV. So I'm not sure I really need to limit their screen time very much at this point.
One thing I would like to do during Turnoff Week is break their habit of automatically turning the TV on when they get home. Having a TV on in the background when you aren't really watching a show and are doing something else is a bad habit that many kids and adults have.
Related:
Free Play
Exercise and Fitness
Youth Sports
