Television Population
Now celebrated internationally by over seven million people, National TV Turnoff Week was founded in 1995 by nonprofit organization TV-Turnoff Network . Group members and organizers embolden children, adults, and families to devote less time to television and more time to loved ones, their communities, and active, healthier lifestyles. The network is committed to the belief that “we all have the power to determine the role that television plays in our own lives.”

If you're one who flatly denies having a problem, think again; you may be surprised at how much you do watch in a day, or a week. According to the TV-Turnoff Network , the television is turned on an average of seven hours and 40 minutes per day in American homes, while 40% of Americans often (or always) watch the tube while consuming dinner. And for something all the more disturbing: More than half of four to six year old kids say that they prefer to watching TV to hanging out with dad.

Of course, that's not even the brink of it. With its blatant and flagrant violence, children are getting odd ideas about what the world is really like. Americans are becoming a nation with a Body Mass Index off the scales, and while that's not all due to TV-related inactivity, it's certainly a contributor to the issue as a whole. Books, which encourage analytical thought and self-reflection, are becoming a thing of yesteryear. Children hole up with DVDs in their bedrooms instead of interacting with peers. TV has effectively been dumbing-down the populace: Says TV-Turnoff Network, 59% percent of Americans can name the Three Stooges, while just 17% can name three Supreme Court justices.