Turn Off Your TV in April

Statistics show that TV has a large impact on the American household. In 2006, the average household had more television sets than people. The TV was on for an average of eight hours every day, and the average American watched more than four and a half hours of TV per day. More recent surveys show that these numbers are only increasing; Americans are watching more TV than ever.

"I’ve been without a TV since September of last year, after making a conscious choice that it was eating an awful lot of my free time," says Sarah Andel, a family nurse practitioner at Bingham Area Health Center. Considering when and why television is used and what it is used for can help you to choose alternative activities. For example, if you use TV to unwind at the end of the day you could try reading a book instead. If TV is your source of news and information, try another source. "I’ve been amazed at how much more information I can take in from the radio when I am actively listening," Andel reports. If you use TV to keep the kids occupied while you’re doing something else, try giving the kids coloring books and crayons. If you watch TV because you’re bored, have nothing better to do, or just because the TV is there consider volunteering at a community center, taking the dog for a walk, or working on that screenplay that you’ve been meaning to write. When you sit down and think about it there are many things that you could do instead of watching TV. Andel agrees: "I have been able to reconnect with a lot of old friends, keep a journal, read a ton more and listen to my thoughts without the TV on every morning!"

You can cut down on TV watching throughout the year by keeping track of how much TV you and your family watch and then scaling it back by ten or fifteen minutes every week. You could even take some of the money that you pay for TV every month and use it to take a cooking or foreign language class instead. As the weather gets nicer you could spend more time outside or, on those rainy days, you could invite family and friends over for a party. "Most visitors are usually a bit uncomfortable when they visit," Andel says of her TV-free household, "but with time, almost everyone has said it feels like a respite away from their TV and have really enjoyed it. "

Bingham Area Health Center is part of the HealthReach Community Health Centers family and is now accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call 672-4187. HealthReach Community Health Centers is a system of eleven federally qualified, community-based health centers located in central and western Maine. Dedicated providers deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare to underserved residents in over 80 rural communities. HealthReach is a private, non-profit organization with a 30-year history, funded by patient fees, grants and individual donations.