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 ---- To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]