This book sat on the shelf for a while, because I assumed I already believed everything it had to say. I was wrong.

The best parts are the stories of families who have removed the TV from their house, either temporarily or permanently:

The first weekend was brutal. In the absence of television, it is very difficult to keep three children occupied from sunup to sundown. We were desperate for relief. A note I made on the first Saturday captures the ambiance of the household: "I'm so exhausted I could vomit...Toys are being scattered faster than I can pick them up."

Our children are playing together, real old-fashioned playing. The two middle children made up an entire musical entitled Dolphins in the Desert.

When the kids had nothing to do, they went out and made a secret hideout -- played there for many days.

Personally I find I can tolerate Saturday housework as a working mother a lot better when I don't see my husband loafing near the TV.

The kids really sat there for quite a while, just as if they were watching. It was pathetic. But it made us absolutely certain we'd done the right thing by chucking the set out.

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polemic on evils of television

Winn argues that the harm in television watching is not in the content, but in the excessive amount of time children spend fixated upon the screen. While the study may be a bit too in-depth for your average reader, it has just enough scientific backing to help a family with a television addiction kick the habit. ( )

נעים לקרוא את הדעות שלך.כיצד הטלוויזיה הופכת את מוחות הנוער לגבינה ירוקה. משתקפים בכתיבה של מישהו אחר. המסר העיקרי, לא חשוב מה רואים, חשוב עצם המדיה וכמות הצפיה.יש ניסיונות להוכיח פגיעה מוחית והתפתחותית כתוצאה מטלוויזיה.הספר לוקה בחזרת יתר על הדברים ובחוסר העמקה, בייחוד בכיוון הפתרונות. ( )

A stimulating and thorough look at how children and television coexist in a household. Winn explains how children watch television and how their brains work to process the visual images they see on the screen. She discusses how the sheer amount of television watched by the average American child damages their lives and their education by stopping them doing other things such as reading, socialising with other children and finding interests of their own. She also explores how computers and internet access in schools may be doing more harm than good, reinforcing the instant gratification children expect from life after years of television.

On top of this analysis, Winn offers – shock horror – alternatives to the automatic impulse we all seem to harbour to switch on the TV, stick on a DVD or plug in a games console. She offers inspiration in the form of testimonies from families who have already taken control of their viewing habits and come out the other side with happier children who are more active in the community, healthier both physically and mentally, and have balanced lives full of active pursuits and developed interests.

This is a fairly exhaustive study, but the simple breakdown of topics makes it a manageable one. The argument is balanced and Winn doesn’t preach her message – instead she persuades admirably and eloquently. The book is both interesting and provocative, and a must-read for parents and telly addicts everywhere. ( )