It isn’t TV Turn Off week any more. It’s now National Screen Free Week. As Aria Wallace discovered, turning off all of our devices can be difficult, but it can open us up to truer, deeper, more nuanced and more aware connections with our friends and family.
ScreenfreeWeek.org has some great materials for families who want to try to unplug for the week. I also recommend the Center for Screen Time Awareness.
Give it a try. No television, no DVDs, no computer except for homework, for just one week. And Mom and Dad, no Blackberries or smartphones while with the family. Go to the library and bring home some great books and go into your closet to bring out some board games. You might discover that you like it, and keep no-screen days every week or every month.