Iwouldliketosuggestthatforsixtyminuteseachevening，rightaftertheearlyeveningnews，alltelevisionbroadcastingbebannedbylaw．Letustakeaseriouslookatwhattheresultsmightbeifsuchasuggestionwereaccepted．Familiesmi

　　I would like to suggest that for sixty minutes each evening，right after the early evening news，all television broadcasting be banned by law．

　　Let us take a serious look at what the results might be if such a suggestion were accepted．Families might use the time for a real family hour．They might sit around together after dinner and actually talk to one another．It is well known that many of our problems-everything，in fact，from the generation gap（代沟） to the high divorce rate to some forms of mental illnesses-are caused at least in part by the failure to communicate．We do not tell each other what is disturbing us．The result is emotional difficulty of one kind or another．By using the quiet family hour to discuss our problems，we might get to know each other better，and to like each other better．

　　On evenings when such talk is unnecessary，families could rediscover more active entertainments．Freed from TV，forced to find their own activities，they might take a ride together to watch the sunset．Or they might take a walk together and see the neighborhood with fresh，new eyes．

　　With free time and no TV，children and adults might rediscover reading．There is more entertainment in a good book than in a month of typical TV programming．Educators report that the generation growing up with television can hardly write an English sentence，even at the college level．Writing is often learned from reading．A more cultured new generation could be a product of the quiet hour．

　　At first glance，the idea of an hour without TV seems radical （激进的）．What will parents do without the electronic baby-sitter？How will we spend the time？But it's not radical at all．It has been only twenty-five years since television came to control our free time．Those of us thirty-five and older can remember childhoods without television，spent partly with radio-which at least involved the listener's imagination-but also with reading，learning，talking，playing games and inventing new activities．