Could You Turn Off Your TV For a Week? TV-Turnoff Week 4/24- 4/30

[disneytim]

The TV-Turnoff Network, a non-profit organization that encourages families to watch less television in order to make time for other activities, is promoting TV-Turnoff Week from April 24th through the 30th (www.tvturnoff.org).

Could you/will you participate in this program? Does it depend on whether Lost is on that week? What is the longest your family has gone without television?

For that matter, could you go a week without the Internet or <gasp> MiceChat?

MiceChat News Related Story: Study on violence and children’s programming comes in time for Turn off TV week

[twinmom]

Interesting how the article you linked says they didn't examine PBS (the only channel my kids watch).

The study examined the programs of eight broadcast or expanded cable networks: ABC, Fox, NBC, WB, ABC Family, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

[disneytim]

I was surprised they surveyed ABC and NBC, but not CBS. Does that mean CBS doesn't have any programming considered suitable for children?

[twinmom]

As far as I know, on Saturday mornings CBS shows kids' shows from Nickelodeon. That might be why they weren't listed.

[MAXandBELLESmom]

no way, i love my tv. my kids watch playhouse disney every morning. i was raised with tv and i turned out just fine.
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[NeverNeverland]

If there were no new shows on or if I had TiVo, sure.
I've gone for weeks without the Internet (but I had TV ). Not what I'd want but I can do it. I don't have a choice when I go on vacation.
Without both, yeah, but I'd be so out of the loop.
I'd still have books, right? Don't tell me I'd have nothing to do but, *gasp* CLEAN THE HOUSE?!?!

When I was in high school, I'd hardly watch TV during the summer. I did have Internet though. But everything was reruns, so...

[KNRG]

I only watch PBS - i'd be bummed to without the internet, as it keeps me up to date on what's up at WDW.

From an academic standpoint i'd be poo's-creek without a paddle without a PC. I have to do renderings and light plots in autocad on a weekly basis.

[Tinkerbelle]

Could you/will you participate in this program? Does it depend on whether Lost is on that week?

the funny thing is, as soon as I read the thread title my thougth was, easy...unless LOST is a new episode....


we don't really watch much TV anyway....I have only 3 shows that I like, and I usualy only watch 2 of them....(Lost, Gilmore Girls, and CSI)

we have gone months at a time with no TV at all....every few years I decide we don't need it and Either unplug it entirely for a month or 2, or cancel Cable and only have the basic network channels...



The internet???? Not likely, My husband couldn't survive at all without it sheesh just the few days without in when we moved had him spasming me, well I had no internet for 2 months when we moved...sucked but I survived (the wireless router didn't work for a long time, he had his, but I couldn't use my computer.....and he was always on his so I was out of luck.....) I did read several books though

[ScarLion]

I rarely watch TV because I rarely have time for it...I don't bother with cable nor satellite dishes. Why pay for something I'll rarely watch. I have a TV in my bedroom...but that's usually for watching DVD's at night. There's no TV when you walk into my place...just computers. So yes, keeping the TV off for a week wouldn't be easy for me...

Now for the internet...for a whole week? When I'm out of town on vacation yeah not a problem...but as for next week (which I'll be on vacation from work but not going anywhere except to the park a couple times during the week) not gonna happen!!! With my busy schedule I use it to keep in touch/chat with friends all across the country...and of coarse, no MiceChat for a week!?!?! *GASP!!* Is that legal?!?! lol

[Soulquarian]

I'm proud to say that I went a whole YEAR without television! When I moved to Riverside for school, I had a T.V. but no antenna, so I just watched DVD's!

[StitchTT6]

If I had to yes..without tv! I have gone without intenet for a week while I was in Vegas...Sad thing is I camoe back to find out that a freind passed away while I was gone and my other friend could only contact me by email!

[Redsix]

No way!!!!! The Sopranos is in its final season and I can not wait until Sunday rolls around. Sorry, I grew up with TV and I havent killed anyone or turned to drugs. I remember my 5th grade teacher, back in the late 70's, telling us the TV is the idot BOX and we are wasting our minds. I wonder if he lived long enought to see Discovery Channel, The learning Channel and the History channel on cable?? Some of those shows are piped into the class rooms today.
As a parent it is easy to blame everything around you, just we need to blame ourselves if our children do not turn out right. TV/cable is not the evil, but as adults we need make responsible choices for our kids. My son is only 7 years old and he knows what he could watch and can not. It is no different than drugs, drinking or tobacco, besides these things were around long before Television. It is what we teach our children and how they make choices.

[Hyperbole]

Well, from June 2005 to February 2006 we didn't have cable or satellite which meant no TV. I got used to it after a while. But would I give up my DirecTV now? Hell no! I'm not missing the Sopranos and South Park!

[Motorboat Cruiser]

I could go a month without TV, no problem. Granted, I would miss Survivor or the Daily Show and I do enjoy both. Still, it seems that lately, everytime the TV is on, I pay little attention to it anyway. There are always things that I would rather spend my time on.

The computer is a different story. Whenever the internet is down, I feel so disconnected, from the news, from friends, from information in general. The thing that always strikes me as odd is that less than ten years ago, I didn't even have a computer. It's hard sometimes to remember what that was like.

[BFJen]

I could easily go without tv. - but I use the internet to keep connected with my family and friends - and I usually get the news off the internet too.