Screen-Free Challenge

Do you ever feel like you watch too much television? Have you ever sat down to think about how much time you actually spend consumed by screen media?

According to Nielsen, Inc., “children watch on average about 24 to 28 hours of television per week. The average 5-year-old will have spent 5,000 hours in front of the TV before entering kindergarten, more time than he or she will spend in conversation with his or her parents for the rest of their lives and longer than it would take to get a college degree.” This is a frightening statistic that should act as a wake up call to children and adults everywhere.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood hosts an annual event known as “Screen-Free Week” in which parents, children, teachers, and others are encouraged to turn off screen media (television, video games, computers, cell phones, etc) and enjoy the freedom of being unplugged.

Screen-Free Week 2012 goes from April 30th to May 6th. The emphasis of this campaign is to not only reduce the time that people spend in front of screens but also encourage people to reevaluate their lifestyle and hopefully make some positive changes.

For more information on the affects of television on children, click here.