Tubeless, for a Week

ONE week, out of an entire year, is not too much for Americans to turn off the television and learn to do without it.

That idea has been pushed for years by the nonprofit TV-Turnoff Network, which notes that Americans, on average, now watch more than 28 hours of TV a week. That's two full months a year. Last year, 6 million people found freedom from the tube during this week and turned to family or community activities.

Schools are joining in by keeping gyms open in the evening, and some are sponsoring family movie nights. Libraries are offering special performances.

And the rest of the year? How about more "appointment" TV viewing, and a conscious limiting of hours watched, even of good programming.

When children are spending more time in front of a TV screen than in a classroom – and research continues to show too much television is a cause for poor academic performance – it's time to hit the off button.