USES is Going Screen-Free!

Boston, MA -- From May 2 to 8, United South End Settlements (USES) Early Childhood Education and After School programs will join thousands of schools, libraries, and community groups nationwide in a coordinated effort to encourage millions of Americans to turn off televisions, smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles for seven days and turn on the world around them. Screen-Free Week is a chance for children to read, play, think, create, be more physically active, and to spend more time with friends and family.

“Screen-Free Week is a much needed respite from the screen media dominating the lives of so many children” said José F. Massó, Director of Youth and Family Engagement, “Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we help children discover the joys of life beyond screens.”

On average, preschool children spend over four and a half hours a day consuming screen media, while older children spend over seven hours a day including multitasking. Excessive screen time is linked to a number of problems for children, including childhood obesity, poor school performance, and problems with attention span.

Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) is coordinated by Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a national advocacy organization devoted to reducing the impact of commercialism on children. Since the Week’s founding in 1994, it has been celebrated by millions of children and their families worldwide. For more information, visit screenfree.org.