How much television do you watch in a typical week? What would you do with those hours you typically spend on the couch if you weren't staring at the small screen and how would that affect your life? I invite (and dare) you to find out by taking part in this year's ˆ£TV Turnoff Weekˆ§ from April 22-28.

About six months ago I decided to give up television for awhile. I was struggling a bit financially (ah, the dot-com crash!) and decided that cutting my cable bill would help me save some money. I never realized that having a bit more cash for something else each month was probably the least important benefit of turning the idiot box off. My thinking has become clearer, I get a lot more accomplished, I read three times as many books, and I feel as if I've gained twenty IQ points.

Statistically, people who watch a lot of television experience proportionally more obesity, depression, consumerism, and debt. Children who watch a lot are also more violent, don't do as well in school, and beg their parents for more toys and clothes.

I could easily turn this article into a long-winded anti-corporate rant with all of the reasons why television is bad for both your health and society, but some people are turned off by a radical stance. I'm not asking you to commit a radical act. Don't decide to quit forever, just decide to quit for a week and see what happens.

You can manage that, or can you?

Web Resources:

TV Turnoff Network
the organization behind TV Turnoff Week.

Adbusters Magazine's TV Turnoff Page
personal accounts of TV Turnoff experiences, posters, activism ideas, and articles.

WhiteDot, the International Campaign Against Television
an anti-television organization out of Britain.

Kill Your Television
statistics about television and other compelling reasons to quit.

Why and How to Turn it Off
an essay that outlines the main reasons why quitting can have such a profound impact.

Impact of Televised Violence
an academic article about the effects of TV Violence.

A review of the book Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television
this book was written in the 1970s, but its message is even more relevant today. Don't read it unless you're prepared to learn how deep the rabbit hole goes...