Take note of how your children behave after they have spent afternoon in front of TV set. How do they behave after playing with their friends? How well do you behave after watching several hours of TV? Your spouse? You may need to get an outside opinion for accuracy.

Consumers 'R Us

How do your children behave at store when confronted with cool blue gizmo that has been advertised for months on TV commercials? Are they whining and begging and nagging incessantly for that gizmo? How much extra money do you spend chasing latest fads and fashions, as shown on TV?

Feelin' Groovy

Observe how much you really remember of that educational program you just saw. How well do you remember last book you read in comparison? Test yourself. Stop and consider how you feel after watching several hours of television. Do you feel alert, happy, and energetic? Or do you feel lethargic and depressed and ready to turn TV back on? Keep a diary to get an accurate assessment.

Family Time?

Most importantly, monitor number of hours you and your family spend in front of TV per week. Is it 20?...30?...40? The average American spends 28 hours per week in front of a TV set. How much do you watch? Now ask yourself: Is this how you really want to spend your time? Is this how you want your kids to spend their time? By age eighteen average American will have spent three full years in front of TV? By age seventy total is 11.67 years.

Stop and think if this is what you really want out of life. I did, and I got rid of my TV.

Find original sources and witnesses

If there are inconsistencies or notable patterns, it is time to start researching. Whenever possible it is best to go to source of an issue. For example, if government passes a new law about security, don’t waste time watching or reading petty analyses of pundits. Find a copy of law! Do not rely on someone else to give an interpretation. The internet makes it much easier to find source documents.

The recent Terri Schiavo case demonstrates need for going to source documents. There are medical documents that are copied at www.hospicepatients.org, and court document links can be found at AbstractAppeal.com. Viewers who relied solely on TV news may feel differently about this case once they peruse these documents.

Also--whenever possible--find witnesses to an event. First person accounts can give a far more accurate and moving picture than one that is filtered through mainstream media. These accounts must be critically analyzed, of course. Diveaid.co.uk has several gripping accounts of tsunami last year by some dive instructors who survived.

Put news into context

Finally, it is essential to put information into context—political, historical, social, and even geographical. If necessary, do some research. This step may take most effort, but it is also most rewarding.

For example, in 1990 anyone who had a basic knowledge of history of Yugoslavia knew that it was a virtual powder keg, just waiting for a psychopath to come and light it. That is exactly what happened with Mr. Milosevic and subsequent wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Respond to world with new-found confidence

Follow these general guidelines and, not only will you become better informed about world events and situations, you will also become a better citizen: better prepared and ready to act with confidence in political arena.

TV Turn-off Week (April 25-May 1) is a great opportunity to test these principles. If you are going to be one of millions of families who turn off their TV's that week, try using these principles to get your news for that one week. Then see if you feel better informed on May 1.

Sources: CHAOS and MEANING of ELECTRIC CULTURE by FRANK ZINGRONE (http://www.chass.utoronto.ca)