Got your TV on? Well, turn it off. Right now. And keep it off for the whole week (April 20-26), because this week, my friends, is Turn Off TV Week.

Let’s face it: We can all benefit from turning our attention away from Sponge Bob and reality television for seven days. Yes, it will be hard. But there’s an upside: You get to play more with your kids, read books, exercise, update your photo albums, visit with friends and neighbors, head into the great outdoors — you know, all the activities we sideline because there aren’t enough hours in the day. Turning off your boob tube will free up plenty of hours, though. And this is exactly what the Center for Screen-Time Awareness (CSTA) wants to see happen.

CSTA is “an international nonprofit organization, providing tools for people to live healthier lives in functional families and vibrant communities by taking control of the electronic media in their lives and not allowing it to control them.”

No more remote controls this week. Just you, controlling the fun you get to have with your loved ones — and don’t tell me you love all those contestants on “American Idol.” They don’t count. Not this week, anyway.

Photo by: (A3R) angelrravelor (A3R) on flickr