TV "grabs" your attention by Katherine Westphal

"Have you ever noticed that it is difficult to avoid looking at a TV if one is playing nearby? This is neither an accident nor a weakness on your part. Virtually all TV programs use cinematic tricks to ‘grab’ and ‘hold’ the viewer’s attention."

The Zombie Look by Katherine Westphal

"Look closely into the eyes of anyone who is watching TV. Most of the time they have a zombie-like, spaced-out, empty look to them. . . . The few published studies present a rather frightening picture of what the human brain looks like when it is hooked to a TV."

Unplug from the 'TV Matrix' to begin a genuine life by Katherine Westphal

"In the movie The Matrix, humanity was enslaved by machines which plugged into their brains and created an artificial reality, while sapping their energy. Only when people unplugged from this Matrix would they begin to see, feel, and live in the real world. It is not too different from how many people live a good chunk of their lives plugged into a television set."

The Value of Play by Rae Pica

"Today’s young children are exposed to so much so early and must cope with much more stress than their predecessors ever did. Pay gives them a necessary emotional release and helps them make sense of everything they’re experiencing. And as Playing for Keeps points out, when young children act out emotion-laden scenes in their play, such as reassuring a doll that mommy will return, they learn to cope with fears and gain the self-control that will bring them to the next state of development."