"Screen Free Week"

[Stratton Michael Williams]

Marianne Follis, of Valley Ranch Library in Irving, Texas, is hosting the annual "Screen Free Week" this week to encourage children to turn off their screen (iPad, iPhone, TV, Computer, etc.).  This activity is relevant to this course because of a study that manager Sara Adelmann did.  She says that excessive screen time can be linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity and attention problems, and it's becoming more and more of an issue as tablets and smart phones become more common.  This can be a big problem for our state in the future because the kids that this is affecting are our future adult citizens that will run our state.

This event last one week, seven days obviously, and there will be many events to help children in the city of Irving, Texas to get out and about.  Events around Irving this week will include a game night, planting seeds for spring and a building event with Legos.  

I chose to write on this event because I feel that it is a great idea by Mrs. Marianne Follis to get kids interested in things other than what is on a screen.  I feel that the laziness of our kids with looking at screens so much will not only hurt our state in the future but also hurt our country.  I grew up playing outside a lot and as a result I love to be outside and the heat doesn't bother me at all.  I have always been active and that has helped my stay fit and healthy.  God made our bodies to burn fat and stay active.  If our kids spend more and more time looking at screen they will become unhealthy and overweight into their adulthood.  It is the bitter truth.

When I have children I will encourage them to be outside and active as much as possible.  I am not saying they won't have screen games and TV but I will limit the amount of time that they spend on them (very little).  I believe as Christians we must spend time reading the bible and becoming more educated in Christianity.  The more time we spend in commercial activities on screens the less time we have to minister to people in a personal manner.

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-05-05/health-issues/screen-fr...

[Kallie Roberts]

I heard about this at the beginning of the week and also thought that it was a wonderful idea! I agree that America (not just children) spends too much time in front of a screen.  However, children are growing up thinking that that is the norm, and will not know anything different unless parents take control.  Having so much screen time can cause a lot of secondary issues, like you said about childhood obesity, dropping school records, and even just spending more time behind a screen than interacting with people.  I think our idea of being social is getting on Facebook and "liking" people's statuses and pictures, when really, that is anything but social.

  Growing up there were not very many options for us to be on a form of technology, so it was normal for my siblings and I to play outside all day with our friends.  However, now, parents have a battle to fight, if they recognize it as such, and it is going to be a lot harder for children to get used to spending less time on a screen since it is such a cultural norm.  I also agree with what you said about "the more time we spend in commercial activities on screens, the less time we have to minister to people in a personal manner."  Christians need to get their faces out of technology, and in the Bible, and start reaching out to people who are hurting, and extending grace to them.