"I grew up watching
violent stuff and I turned out OK, so what's the
problem?"
There are more
channels and more violent programs available today
and the graphic, realistic level of violence has
expanded with the technology of special effects.
"Television doesn't
affect my behavior."
Maybe not, but stand
on any playground and watch children play. Over the
years you could easily identify Superman, Batman,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers.
Young children are in
immediate danger from copying antisocial behavior.
Values are formed very early. Respect for authority,
respect for others, and respect for self is
negatively affected by antisocial programming.
"Children can tell the
difference between reality and fantasy."
No they can't. Not
when they are young. The young child really does
believe in Santa Claus. Only with age comes the
understanding of what is real and what is not real.
Unrestricted TV viewing is doing great damage to our
very young children.
"The major, most pervasive
message of violence is that of insecurity,
vulnerability, and fear."
Dr. George Gerbner,
Annenberg School for Communication
"Young children
shouldn't be watching TV anyway."
Children can learn
from television.
They should not be
categorically refused access to information simply
because they are young. Serving young children with
quality programs must be part of each local
broadcaster's license requirement.
"Mothers shouldn't be
using TV as a baby-sitter."
The mother who feels
that her child is safer watching TV than off the
street ought to be right. There are times when every
parent needs a break and ought to be able to feel
that their children are secure in their own home.
"TV doesn't make anybody
violent."
Maybe not, but it
does help justify punching a wife, hitting a kid,
kicking a dog -- or accepting being beaten as
"normal."
...television seems to cultivate
what we call the "mean world syndrome"
If you are growing
up in a heavy viewing home, for all practical
purposes, you live in a meaner world than ... your
next door neighbor who ... watches less.
"If you take violence
off TV, what about Shakespeare?"
In Shakespeare the
violence is offstage, we see the effects and learn
the evil of violence without the action of the
violence. Classic mystery dramas focus on the
solution to a crime, not the commission, and the
chief weapon against the villain is intellect, not
brute force.
"Children need heroes."
A hero should be
selected on the basis of strength of character, not
physical power to dominate. Today's TV "heroes"
often show a violent response as the only effective
and frequently first response to any conflict.
"So what can we do? What
about the first amendment?"
There is a lot of
room between the first amendment right to free
speech and the right to restrict unwanted images
from our own living rooms.
We should have the
right to protect our families in our own homes.
A Free-Market Response
We can make our
feelings known by calling TV stations and the
sponsors of programming that we find objectionable.
Both broadcasters and sponsors will react very
quickly if they see a strong shift in public
attitudes toward their products.
The Tools
Government regulation
can help provide the tools we need. Demand
enforcement of existing regulations, such as a
station's compliance to the Children's Television
Act of 1990, as criteria for license renewal.
Many TV sets and
cable boxes are equipped with blocking technology
that allows parents to limit the stations that can
be viewed without the use of a programmable
password. Ask your cable provider -- you may have
the capability already and not even know it!
Call for the
enactment of the proposed Children's Media
Protection Act which would require the availability
of technological tools to enable each of us to
individually block out any programming we deem
objectionable.
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