Getting Rid Of E.B.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that children aged 2 and
younger should not be exposed to television, at all. After that not
more than two hours daily.
In the real world according to the 2001 edition of the Sourcebook for
Teaching Science:
- In the average American household, the TV is on for 6 hours, 47
minutes every day.
- The the average child spends 28 hours watching television per week,
which is 4 hours a day.
- The average amount of time kids spend in meaningful conversation
with their parents: Just 3.5 minutes PER WEEK.
- Kids spend 1,500 hours a year watching TV, but only 900 hours a year
in school.
Think about that. Then let's break it down an little further.
- A 1991 study revealed that four hours of Saturday morning cartoons
contain an average of 200 junk food ads. The average child sees 20,000
TV commercials a year, most of them for fast food restaurants or snack
foods.
- Since the 1960s, obesity has almost tripled among children 6-17, in
large part due to inactivity and junk food mindlessly consumed while
watching the tube.
- Cases of eating disorders among girls have ballooned in the last 20
years, partly attributed to the fact that actresses on TV are thinner
than 95% of other women.
- 54% of 4-6 year-olds surveyed said they would rather watch TV than
spend time with their fathers. Ouch!
And we wonder why kids are the way they are?
... stop what you are doing right now, unplug the TV's, take the batteries
out of the remotes, grab up your children and take them to the playground.
Let's take time to raise the children that we brought into the world
and instill our family values in them, share a sit- down meal at our
dinner tables with them... you know
with food that you and they have actually prepared together while
discussing the day.
Teach them how to live life and deal with reality as opposed to
watching pretend beings life a pretend life that always has a happy
ending.
Get rid of the Electronic Babysitter!
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