Haunting stories confront us every day as we read the newspaper. The escalating epidemic of violence among youth seems to be taking on grisly forms. Violence, especially among youth, has clearly become a major public health problem. The medical community must mobilize its efforts to confront this epidemic. One factor that is increasingly acknowledged is the viewing of violent entertainment.
All television is educational.
This quote by Nicholas Johnson, former chief of the Federal Communications Commission, points out the enormous influence television has on our contemporary society. Unfortunately, this great electronic teacher has been largely enlisted in the service of maximizing profits for the company owners who control the medium. Television communicates important value messages, especially to children. But the messages are influenced by the main goal of television-profit. Television is a business.