Turn Off Your TV

This brief article describes patterns in the use and control of television in the United States and Europe. Author Tom Cowin begins by referencing an April 2003 TV turn-off week in which an estimated 5 million people living in the USA took part. Those who participated, as well as organisers TV-Turnoff Network and White Dot, are convinced that "television is not a democratic medium, it turns people into passive consumers rather than active community members". According to this article, a US study has shown a "marked decrease" in the number of people participating in community groups and activities since the 1950's. Cowin states, "it was found that the only reason for this was the rapid increase in the amount of televion [sic] being watched". Their concern may also be explained by research of the nature Cowin discusses here, such as the finding that the average primary school-age child in Britain watches an average of 4 hours of television per day. Cowin points to US research demonstrating links between TV use and poor social skills, playground aggression, and attention deficit disorder.

Cowin also discusses the control of the television medium. He explains, "The pattern accross [sic] Europe and America is that control of the medium is being monopolised by a [sic] increasingly small number of corporations and individuals. The growth of alternative, community based news websites such as indymedia and the huge surge in sign ups to the al-jazeera web service during the Iraq conflict can be seen as a sign of people's growing frustration with what they are being offered by conventional media."

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