Personally, I think no TV week is a fantastic idea. As a society we have become so caught up with technology, it tends to take over our lives. I have several friends that will stay up far later than they should on a school night because they are on their phones, computers, or watching TV. I find this difficult to do as I get cranky if I get less than seven hours of sleep (I love sleep), but on nights that I can’t sleep or get distracted, my phone seems to be the main cause of this. For a young child no TV week is a great idea, but for teens and young adults, this should be taken one step further.
During no TV week it seems a better idea for teens and young adults to stay away from technology in general. Many of us don’t even have time to watch TV. For me and many of my friends not watching TV for a week is a simple task because we have so many other forms of technological amusement, and many of us don’t have time to watch TV. While having no access to your phone or laptop for a whole week may be impossible, especially for those of us who need it for jobs, trying to avoid technology for the most part in our downtime is possible. Try to only use your phone for communication like planning. If you can, make phone calls instead of texting whenever possible. Other forms of communication, like snapchat, are acceptable if it is your only form of communication with that person, but otherwise try to avoid it. No games or other social media apps either.
Instead, read a book, go outside, take a hike or go for a walk. Call your friends and go for a bike ride. You could even pull out the art supplies and do some arts and crafts for a throwback to elementary school art class. Make it into a competition of who can make the prettiest picture. There are so many other things you can do besides using technology, and almost all of them are better for you physically and mentally. Get out of the house and get some fresh air in your system, or read a book and get your brain working. Play a board game with the family, and have some quality bonding time.
This no TV week, challenge yourself a little more and try swearing off all technology week for the most part. I promise you will like the results. You will feel better rested since the blue glow of your phone screen causes brain activity and leads to poorer sleep. Better sleep will lead to more energy to keep active in your downtime. Your lack of typical entertainment will also lead to more interesting and different activities to keep you occupied leading to possible learning experiences. Give no technology week a shot, your body and mind will thank you.