NO TV for 30 Days! What Happened?

by ParentCo. June 14, 2016

Watching a couple hours of TV a day can have major effects on your brain. So what would happen if you quit cold turkey? The average adult watches 2.8 hours per day of television, according to the American Time Use survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics...

THE DANGERS OF TV

A lot of research has been done around TV viewing and children, and Adam Lipson, a neurosurgeon with IGEA Brain & Spine, says one of the best studies is from Tohoku University in Japan. "They noted thickening of the frontopolar cortex, which is related to verbal reasoning ability, and also correlated with a drop in IQ in proportion to the number of hours of television watching," he says.

WHAT HAPPENED

During the first few days we were at a loss for what to do...Then a new routine kicked in. We started cooking together, took the dogs on longer walks, completed tasks around the house that had been on the to-do list for too long, and had great conversations over a glass of wine... By the end of the TV-free month, I finished the stacks of magazines that were sitting on my nightstand and end table, cleaned out my closet, started the capsule wardrobe I always wanted to have, donated 10 bags of household items we no longer needed, went to a viewing of a documentary about minimalism, and took my son to New York with me when I attended a writer’s conference, spending time with him being a tourist.

DID WE TURN THE TV ON?

I didn’t. (My husband has gone back to watching the Golf Channel at night.) As I write this, it’s day 33, and I have not watched a single television show. Not even the final episode of The Good Wife, which I recorded and was so sad to miss.
Source: How Giving Up TV For A Month Changed My Brain And My Life | Fast Company | Business + Innovation



ParentCo.

Author



Also in Conversations

mother with child
How Teaching Goal Setting Inspires Children

by Joy Turner

Setting goals allows kids to experience growth socially and emotionally by helping them develop self-regulation skills, gain responsibility and build confidence.

Continue Reading

mother with new baby
Postpartum Hospital Bag Essentials I Wish I Had

by Yelena Shuster

I’ve texted every pregnant person I know to ask them everything I could gather to make their hospital stay better. Here’s everything I wish I had—and why.

Continue Reading

sitting with friends
The Power of Taking the Time To Check in with Yourself

by Hannah Brencher

When I began cultivating a discipline of unplugging to be more present, I realized that I wasn't checking in with myself; I was making an excuse to check out.

Continue Reading