I didn't realize that annual TV-Turnoff Week kicked off Monday. I guess it's too late for me since I have already viewed a lot of shows that were recorded on DVR. I must admit that I am addicted to one particular soap opera. The event of not watching TV for a week actually started in 2001. I am wondering if there is a Hallmark card for this.
Visitacion Valley Middle School is using a curriculum called SMART--Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television. The program was developed by Stanford University researchers.
Increasingly, schools like Visitacion Valley are looking for ways to reduce violence and aggression in the community and on the schoolyard -- and they've put television and video games on the list.
Research has found that children who cut back on screen time are less verbally and physically aggressive on the playground, said Stanford Associate Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Thomas Robinson.
"We have a lot of bullying, both boys and girls," said San Francisco police Officer Frances Terry, who is the school's resource officer. "There's so much violence in the community.''
I do think that this is a good idea. There is a lot of violence on TV and in some video games. Maybe parental guidance is more of a long term solution. Doing without TV will only work if the kids have something else meaningful to do. I do know that sometimes kids need a little down time while mom is preparing dinner. It's tough to keep them entertained all of the time.