Being a Writer™ Teacher’s Manual    Opinion Writing WA6© Developmental Studies Center 1 of 3

WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television

Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence

makes clear, our television habit has serious negative

consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time,

harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school,

encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and

obesity.

TV Undermines Family TimeMany people feel that they do not have enough time to

spend with their families. . . . Television plays a crucial role.

In the average American household, there are at least two

televisions, and 67 percent of Americans report always or

often watching television while eating dinner. Families who

watch little or no television often find that they have more

time to spend with one another.

TV Harms Reading and Academic PerformanceExcessive television-watching harms reading skills. . . .

Researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading

scores diminished sharply for those students watching more

than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of

Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may

actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it

develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom

environment difficult.

TV Encourages ViolenceThe evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes

violent behavior in real life. The Center on Media and Child

Health at Harvard lists more than 2,000 reports on the links

between media exposure and increases in violence. Those

studies have established that the amount of media violence a

child sees is similar to the amount of real violence that the

child acts out. The connection between those two things is

stronger than the connection between calcium intake and

healthy bones! It’s nearly as strong as the link between

smoking and lung cancer.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and ObesityAmericans, by and large, do not get enough physical

exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television,

which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According

to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The

easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set.

Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

“WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” originally appeared on the TV-Turnoff Network. Copyright © 2004. Adapted and reprinted by Developmental Studies Center, 2014, courtesy of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness.

WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television

Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence

makes clear, our television habit has serious negative

consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time,

harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school,

encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and

obesity.

TV Undermines Family TimeMany people feel that they do not have enough time to

spend with their families. . . . Television plays a crucial role.

In the average American household, there are at least two

televisions, and 67 percent of Americans report always or

often watching television while eating dinner. Families who

watch little or no television often find that they have more

time to spend with one another.

TV Harms Reading and Academic PerformanceExcessive television-watching harms reading skills. . . .

Researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading

scores diminished sharply for those students watching more

than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of

Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may

actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it

develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom

environment difficult.

TV Encourages ViolenceThe evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes

violent behavior in real life. The Center on Media and Child

Health at Harvard lists more than 2,000 reports on the links

between media exposure and increases in violence. Those

studies have established that the amount of media violence a

child sees is similar to the amount of real violence that the

child acts out. The connection between those two things is

stronger than the connection between calcium intake and

healthy bones! It’s nearly as strong as the link between

smoking and lung cancer.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and ObesityAmericans, by and large, do not get enough physical

exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television,

which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According

to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The

easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set.

Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

“WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” originally appeared on the TV-Turnoff Network. Copyright © 2004. Adapted and reprinted by Developmental Studies Center, 2014, courtesy of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness.

Being a Writer™ Teacher’s Manual    Opinion Writing WA6© Developmental Studies Center 2 of 3

WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television

Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence

makes clear, our television habit has serious negative

consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time,

harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school,

encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and

obesity.

TV Undermines Family TimeMany people feel that they do not have enough time to

spend with their families. . . . Television plays a crucial role.

In the average American household, there are at least two

televisions, and 67 percent of Americans report always or

often watching television while eating dinner. Families who

watch little or no television often find that they have more

time to spend with one another.

TV Harms Reading and Academic PerformanceExcessive television-watching harms reading skills. . . .

Researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading

scores diminished sharply for those students watching more

than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of

Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may

actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it

develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom

environment difficult.

TV Encourages ViolenceThe evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes

violent behavior in real life. The Center on Media and Child

Health at Harvard lists more than 2,000 reports on the links

between media exposure and increases in violence. Those

studies have established that the amount of media violence a

child sees is similar to the amount of real violence that the

child acts out. The connection between those two things is

stronger than the connection between calcium intake and

healthy bones! It’s nearly as strong as the link between

smoking and lung cancer.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and ObesityAmericans, by and large, do not get enough physical

exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television,

which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According

to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The

easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set.

Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

“WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” originally appeared on the TV-Turnoff Network. Copyright © 2004. Adapted and reprinted by Developmental Studies Center, 2014, courtesy of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness.

WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television

Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence

makes clear, our television habit has serious negative

consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time,

harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school,

encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and

obesity.

TV Undermines Family TimeMany people feel that they do not have enough time to

spend with their families. . . . Television plays a crucial role.

In the average American household, there are at least two

televisions, and 67 percent of Americans report always or

often watching television while eating dinner. Families who

watch little or no television often find that they have more

time to spend with one another.

TV Harms Reading and Academic PerformanceExcessive television-watching harms reading skills. . . .

Researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading

scores diminished sharply for those students watching more

than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of

Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may

actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it

develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom

environment difficult.

TV Encourages ViolenceThe evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes

violent behavior in real life. The Center on Media and Child

Health at Harvard lists more than 2,000 reports on the links

between media exposure and increases in violence. Those

studies have established that the amount of media violence a

child sees is similar to the amount of real violence that the

child acts out. The connection between those two things is

stronger than the connection between calcium intake and

healthy bones! It’s nearly as strong as the link between

smoking and lung cancer.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and ObesityAmericans, by and large, do not get enough physical

exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television,

which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According

to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The

easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set.

Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

“WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” originally appeared on the TV-Turnoff Network. Copyright © 2004. Adapted and reprinted by Developmental Studies Center, 2014, courtesy of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness.

Being a Writer™ Teacher’s Manual    Opinion Writing WA6© Developmental Studies Center 3 of 3

WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television

Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence

makes clear, our television habit has serious negative

consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time,

harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school,

encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and

obesity.

TV Undermines Family TimeMany people feel that they do not have enough time to

spend with their families. . . . Television plays a crucial role.

In the average American household, there are at least two

televisions, and 67 percent of Americans report always or

often watching television while eating dinner. Families who

watch little or no television often find that they have more

time to spend with one another.

TV Harms Reading and Academic PerformanceExcessive television-watching harms reading skills. . . .

Researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading

scores diminished sharply for those students watching more

than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of

Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may

actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it

develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom

environment difficult.

TV Encourages ViolenceThe evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes

violent behavior in real life. The Center on Media and Child

Health at Harvard lists more than 2,000 reports on the links

between media exposure and increases in violence. Those

studies have established that the amount of media violence a

child sees is similar to the amount of real violence that the

child acts out. The connection between those two things is

stronger than the connection between calcium intake and

healthy bones! It’s nearly as strong as the link between

smoking and lung cancer.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and ObesityAmericans, by and large, do not get enough physical

exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television,

which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According

to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The

easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set.

Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

“WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” originally appeared on the TV-Turnoff Network. Copyright © 2004. Adapted and reprinted by Developmental Studies Center, 2014, courtesy of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness.

WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health

More than four hours a day: that’s how much television

Americans watch on average. As an abundance of evidence

makes clear, our television habit has serious negative

consequences. Excessive TV-watching cuts into family time,

harms our kids’ ability to read and perform well in school,

encourages violence, and promotes sedentary lifestyles and

obesity.

TV Undermines Family TimeMany people feel that they do not have enough time to

spend with their families. . . . Television plays a crucial role.

In the average American household, there are at least two

televisions, and 67 percent of Americans report always or

often watching television while eating dinner. Families who

watch little or no television often find that they have more

time to spend with one another.

TV Harms Reading and Academic PerformanceExcessive television-watching harms reading skills. . . .

Researcher[s] [found] more than a decade ago that “reading

scores diminished sharply for those students watching more

than four hours a day.” Researchers such as Jane Healy of

Harvard argue that watching TV instead of reading may

actually [change] the physical structure of the brain as it

develops, making learning and working in the schoolroom

environment difficult.

TV Encourages ViolenceThe evidence is overwhelming: violence on TV promotes

violent behavior in real life. The Center on Media and Child

Health at Harvard lists more than 2,000 reports on the links

between media exposure and increases in violence. Those

studies have established that the amount of media violence a

child sees is similar to the amount of real violence that the

child acts out. The connection between those two things is

stronger than the connection between calcium intake and

healthy bones! It’s nearly as strong as the link between

smoking and lung cancer.

TV Promotes Sedentary Lifestyles and ObesityAmericans, by and large, do not get enough physical

exercise. We spend most of our free time watching television,

which promotes obesity and its related illnesses. According

to Dr. William Dietz at the Centers for Disease Control, “The

easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set.

Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

“WARNING: Too Much TV Is Hazardous to Your Health” originally appeared on the TV-Turnoff Network. Copyright © 2004. Adapted and reprinted by Developmental Studies Center, 2014, courtesy of the Center for Screen-Time Awareness.