TURN OFF: With the primary election tomorrow in Pennsylvania,
this is probably a bad time to mention it but this is Turn-Off Week
when Americans are asked to turn off not just the TV set but all
electronic “media devices.”
In fact, this is the 13th annual Turn-Off Week that started as
TV Turn-Off Week but has developed to include everything that is
used recreationally that requires electricity.
The theme is, “Power Down and Dream Big.”
The Center for Screen Time Awareness says, “Corporate America
states that workers depression hurts productivity; the same is true
of obesity. Americans are fat and our attention spans are short.
Some studies show that by 1980 standards a large number of us are
mentally unbalanced and need counseling.”
“We hear there are powerful medications in our water, our food
is treated with and made from powerful chemicals and more and more
germs are resistant to antibiotics.
“In airports, doctors’ offices, supermarkets and almost every
place else one can think of, there are screens reporting the
tragedies taking place around the world and around the corner. All
this leads to greater stress, leading more people to find happiness
in alternative worlds, living vicariously through avatars and
celebrities, rather than find themselves subjected to the pressures
of the real world.”
This week, organizers hope people will engage in the world
around them – playing, reading, writing and holding hands. They
hope parents and children, friends and neighbors will gather and be
amazed how much time they have, how much there is to enjoy in
hearing the sounds of nature, the sounds of people enjoying
life.
Organizers hope to establish Media Impact Task Forces to promote
alternatives to the screen, foster stronger families and encourage
family meals and healthy lifestyle change, including
Universal-Screen-Time-Reduction.
While the “turn off” idea appeals to use, we must admit it’s a
little frightening. But can you imagine how much time you would
gain? Hey, at least it’s worth thinking about during that 20-25
minutes of commercials per hour of TV programming we watch. Aren’t
we better than that? Smarter?
As for the election outcome, you can read all about it in
Wednesday’s Era.
