Jennifer Taylor writes:

>I think children should be kept from watching certain shows. Violence on

>TV directly causes violent behavior.

Since justification for this claim comes purely from anecdotal  evidence (as is

 usual in these

cases), let me reply with my own story:

Between the ages of 9 and 12 me and my friends used to watch (unbeknown to our

 parents) a

number of extremely gory and sadistic horror videos (many of which were later

 banned - so

much for the good old days). A show such as The Incredible Hulk would have been

 far too dull

for our tastes. Strangely enough, neither myself nor any of my friends turned to

 violence, felt the

urge to dismember  our next-door neighboors, or developed any other personality

 disorder. All of

us have subsequently turned into respectable and averagely mild-mannered

 citizens, some of us

active in anti-violence and peace initiatives.

Of course, as with Jennifer Taylor's example of her younger brother, this

 anecdote doesn't prove

anything. Jennifer Taylor might nostalgically yearn for a time when the father

 was still the

undisputed head of the household, mother was slaving all day over a hot stove,

 everyone being

happy in a rural idyll, well-behaved children talking, reading, bonding etc etc.

 (maybe some form

of selective cultural memory here?)

Jennifer Taylor is perfectly entitled to hold her views, and to monitor her

 household and her

children's viewing habits as she finds appropriate.What I object to is the

 universalising tone of

her remarks. There are quite a substantial number of people out there who don't

 want their TV

being restricted to a non-stop rerun of The Waltons.

 

Tim Bergfelder

 

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