Turn off your TV for a week. That is what the Bermuda Reading Association is pushing for in the week of April 10-16 in an effort to encourage reading.

Association vice president Ameenah Ahad is a reading teacher at the Bermuda College and reported there is a noticeable difference between children who watch too much TV.

Pointing out that television watching is a passive experience, Ms Ahad said: "TV promotes obesity because you are just sitting and watching instead of moving around, going outside and getting exercise.'' Ms Ahad also noted the negative impact violence on the screen causes in young children. "It is particularly detrimental to very young children,'' she said.

"You can notice them displaying increased aggression and acting out what they see on TV,'' she continued. "They take their cues on what is cool and what is not cool, and often adopt undesirable behaviour.'' "Most teachers agree,'' she added, "that students watch too much TV and spend too little time reading. Research has shown that ten or more hours of TV viewing per week, negatively affects academic achievement.'' The Bermuda Turnoff-TV Week has been endorsed by the Department of Education, the Bermuda National Library, The Bermuda Union of Teachers and Phi Delta Kappa.

Talk back How much television is too much? Why not write to Young Observer discussing what some of the dangers are to young people who watch too much television.

Some people believe that sex and violence on television encourages violence in real life. What do you think?