Day 2: The Statistics of TV

So I'm home after a long day and I must admit my first instinct is to turn on the TV. Good luck with that though unless I'm wanting to watch "the bug races". In my reflection regarding not watching TV I was looking up some statistics regarding TV watching in the USA. Here are some thought-provoking figures. Perhaps after reading them, others will work at limiting TV's influence on their lives too...

TV's AFFECTS ON FAMILY LIFE:
Percentage of households that possess at least one television: 99

Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66

Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes

Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66

Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion

Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56

Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million

Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million

Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49

TV's AFFECT ON CHILDREN:
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000

Minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5

Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680

Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70

Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73

Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54

Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours

Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500

TV'S AFFECT ON SOCIETY:
Percentage of local news broadcast time devoted to advertising: 30

Percentage devoted to stories about crime, disaster and war: 53.8

Percentage devoted to public service announcements: 0.7

Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59

Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17

Statistics compiled by TV-Free America
1322 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 887-4036