TV: It’s Turn Off Your TV Week


I almost forgot to announce that yesterday marked the beginning of “Turn off your TV Week,” sponsored by adbusters.org. There are a number of ways to participate but the simplest way is to unplug the TV for the week. And why not? We have family and friends that would love the extra time, we have bookshelves full of books to be read, maybe there’s a phone call or letter you’ve been meaning to write, places we’ve been meaning to volunteer at, or that mid-week small group you keep missing. Whatever it is there are many positive activities you can put in place of watching TV this week.

Here’s what Adbusters has to say:

The idea is simple: take your TV, your DVD player, your video iPod, your XBOX 360, your laptop, your PSP, and say goodbye to them all for seven days. Simple, but not at all easy. Like millions of others before you, you’ll be shocked at just how difficult – yet also how life-changing – a week spent unplugged can really be.

But there’s a lot more to TV Turnoff Week than shaking up your relationship with passive entertainment. It’s all about saying no to being bombarded with unwelcome and unhealthy commercial messages. It’s about saying no to unfettered corporate media concentration and to the democratic deficit that results. And it’s about challenging the heavily distorted reflection of the world that we see on the screen, a reflection that is keeping us ill-informed and unaware of the very real political and environmental crises that we all currently face.

While I won’t be able to get rid of the laptop this week due to my school work and getting ready for Europe I will be staying away from the TV (and less time in front of the computer) and taking the opportunity to spend that time with my wife and friends. I hope you’ll consider joining in this act this week in some way, and if you do and would like to tell us about it at the bottom that would rock!

Watch the “Product is You” commercial. And you can also download extras here.

Related Links:

  • TV Turnoff Network
  • White Dot
  • Kill Your TV
  • TV-B-Gone
  • Media Education Foundation
  • Center for Media and Public Affairs
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    8 responses to “TV: It’s Turn Off Your TV Week”

    1. like your styles Dan. Taking ploughshare activist to your TV sounds like fun. And you can grow plants in them afterwards or even a fish bowl. The wonders of silence, public radio, free time, talking with our loved ones…. Lord here our prayer 🙂

    2. Jarrod,

      I’m not as creative as you. I just left the cracked TV in my living room as a conversation starter about how capitalism grows by telling you what you need and then providing it for you. After about a month away from TV, I found it difficult to go back.

      For the record, I think it can be really dangerous to hit a normal TV with a hammer, so I don’t recommend it.

      Dan

    3. Going without TV for a week won’t be very hard. If we had a Turn Off Your Internet week, though…

    4. Since I don’t watch TV maybe this week I should have done Turn On Your TV?

      I was preaching at a youth conference last month and mentioned that I watch less than 30 minutes a month. And the whole room gasped.

    5. Shawn, I guess you could turn it on, but then what would you watch? I’ve found that the less tv I watch, the less I want to watch it or even know of any shows I am interested in.

      And I remember similar reactions when I was youth pastoring, we definately need to stress some alternative lifestyles for Christians. I am glad you shared that with the people you were speaking too!