|
We don't know about you, but we're sick of
people blaming TV for everything from violence
to teen pregnancy. Not that we condone reckless sex
and violence. Far from it. But these things are
growing less prevalent all the time. Here are the
facts:
Sexual content on television more than tripled
from 1989 to 1999 on a per-hour basis. Likewise,
sexual and violent material and coarse language
combined nearly tripled during the same period.
UPN's WWF Smackdown! alone was responsible for
about 11 percent of the sex, cursing, and violence
on TV in 1999. Meanwhile, in real life...
Crime: Murder rates nationwide fell off a
cliff in the mid-90s and dropped another 1.1
percent last year. Also last year, the FBI reports,
burglary fell ten percent, auto theft dropped
almost eight percent and larceny fell by about six
percent.
Drugs: Among high school seniors, use of
stimulant drugs dropped from 22 percent in 1975 to
15 percent in the mid-90s. Even cigarette smoking
is down: In 1965, 42 percent of adult
Americans smoked. Today it's just 25 percent.
Teen Pregnancy: The teen-pregnancy rate
fell 19 percent from its all-time high in 1991 to
94.3 pregnancies per 1,000 women in 1997 - the
lowest level since the government began collecting
this data.
School Violence: After Columbine in 1999,
70 percent of parents in one poll said they were
"much more" or "somewhat more" concerned about
their children's safety at school - but kids are
more likely to be struck by lightening than to die
violently at school.
Source: Stuff,
10/01
* * *
Contact
Us |
Disclaimer
| Privacy
Statement
Menstuff®
Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon
Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay
|
