Screen-Free Week

Fri Feb 4 14:22:07 UTC 2011

Hi,
I'm wondering - do children do this willingly? Or are they forced by  
their parents and other elders? Who makes the individual decisions to  
turn of the tellys? The children or their parents/teachers? (I'm  
guessing the latter).

I'm not certain if such blanket calls for turning off all TVs is fair  
to the children who perhaps watch just one or two favorite shows a  
day, but are forced to give that up. It's like if there were an  
alcohol-free day - which is all well and good, and I'm sure there  
might be social drinkers who would gladly stand in support. But of  
course, it will be these social drinkers making the decision, not  
having the decision made for them by their seniors.

Kids have it hard enough with everyone pushing their own agendas onto  
them; must the solution to the problems that TV creates be to force  
those children who are not affected to get their TVs, computers and  
consoles turned off?

I hope at least that the final decision in each case is left to the  
children. It would be interesting to see the statistics. Perhaps we  
would all be pleasantly surprised :)

Mohinish

On Feb 4, 2011, at 8:58 AM, Susan Linn wrote:

> On April 18-24, children around the world will celebrate Screen-Free  
> Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) by turning off televisions, computers,  
> and video games and turning on the world around them.   Given the  
> links between excessive screen time, and poor school performance I  
> am hoping that your organizations or institutions will support,  
> promote, and participate in the week.
>
> On average, preschool children spend over four and a half hours a  
> day consuming screen media [1], while older children spend over 7  
> hours a day [2].  Excessive screen time is linked to a number of  
> problems for children, including childhood obesity [3], poor school  
> performance [4], attention span issues [5], and psychological  
> difficulties [6].  And it’s primarily through screens that children  
> are exposed to harmful marketing [7].  That’s why interventions like  
> Screen-Free Week – which get children actively playing with peers  
> and spending quality time with their families – are more important  
> than ever.  Reduced screen time can help prevent childhood obesity  
> [8] and lead to better school and health outcomes [9].
>
> Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) is proud to be the  
> new official home of Screen-Free Week.  When TV-Turnoff’s former  
> home, the Center for Screen Time Awareness, closed its doors, the  
> board unanimously chose CCFC to continue their important work of  
> helping families discover alternatives to screen time.  At its  
> heart, Screen-Free Week has always been a collaborative effort that  
> relies on the endorsement of prominent organizations. There are a  
> number of ways to get involved in this year’s week; please check  
> what you are willing to do.
>
> ___ Please list my organization (me) as an official endorser of  
> Screen-Free Week 2011
>
> ___ I (or someone from my organization) will give a quote in support  
> of Screen-Free Week to be used in promotional and press materials.
>
> ___ We will include information about Screen-Free Week in an e-blast  
> or newsletter to our constituents.  (CCFC is happy to provide text  
> for any announcements).
>
> ___ We will promote Screen-Free Week to our constituents on social  
> media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
>
> Please let me know by February 17 if your organization is willing to  
> be an active participant in this year’s Screen-Free Week.  And if  
> you have any questions, feel free to contact me.  For more  
> information about participation please visit www.screenfree.org.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Susan Linn
>
> Susan Linn, Ed.D., is Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free  
> Childhood and Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
>
> Contact Information:
> CCFC
> Non-Profit Center
> 89 South Street, Suite 403
> Boston, MA 02111
> 617-896-9370
> http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/
>
> [1] The Nielsen Company (2009).  TV viewing among kids at an eight- 
> year
>  high.  Retrieved July 19, 2010 from
>  http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/tv-viewing-among-kids-at-an-eight-year- 
>  high/.
>  [2] Rideout, V.J., Foehr, U.G., Roberts, D.F. (2010). Generation M2:
>  Media in the lives of 8- to 18-Year Olds.  Kaiser Family Foundation.
>  [3] Danner, FW. A national longitudinal study of the association of
>  hours of TV viewing and the trajectory of BMI growth among U.S.
>  children.(2008). Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 33(10), 1100-1107.
>  [4] Pagani, L, Fitzpatrick, C, Barnett, TA, & Dubow, E. (2010).
>  Prospective associations between early childhood television  
> exposure and
>  academic, psychosocial, and physical well-being by middle childhood.
>  Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 164(5), 425-431.
>  [5] Swing, EL,Gentile DA, Anderson CA, Walsh DA. (2010). Television  
> and
>  video game exposure and the development of attention problems.
>  Pediatrics. 126(2), 214-221.
>  [6] Page, AS, Cooper, AR, Griew, P, Jago, R. (2010). Children's  
> screen
>  viewing is related to psychological difficulties irrespective of
>  physical activity. Pediatrics. 126(5), 1011-1017.
>  [7] Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Economics Staff Report. (2007,
>  June 1). Children's Exposure to TV Advertising in 1977 and 2004.  
> Holt,
>  DJ, Ippolito, PM, Desrochers, DM & Kelley, CR, p.9.
>  [8] Epstein LH, Roemmich JN, Robinson JL, Paluch RA, Winiewicz DD,
>  Fuerch JH, Robinson TN. (2008).  A Randomized trial of the effects of
>  reducing television viewing and computer use on body mass index in  
> young
>  children. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 162(3):239-45.
>  [9] Mistry KB, Minkovitz CS, Strobino, DM, Borzekowski, DLG. (2007).
>  Children's television exposure and behavioral and social outcomes  
> at 5.5
>  years: Does timing of exposure matter? Pediatrics, 120, 762-769.
>
>
>
> Susan Linn, Ed.D., is Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free  
> Childhood and Instructor in Psychiatry, HarvardMedical School
>
> Contact Information:
> CCFC
> Non-Profit Center
> 89 South Street, Suite 405
> Boston, MA 02111
> 617-896-9370
> www.commercialfreechildhood.org
>

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