Television Censorship

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the problem of children being exposed on television to massive amounts of violence, sex, drugs, adult language and inappropriate ideas. The author points out that self-policing by the entertainment industry and software locks on set-top boxes have yielded very few results. The paper examines the origin of the v-chip that physically prevents viewing, its role in the popular culture, the technology, and why it has not been successful. The author concludes that, unless a v-chip can be made that operates on some sort of personal or biometric recognition system, children will continue to act out what they see on television to the detriment of themselves and society. Personal policing is the only reliable course of action.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
History
Censorship
V-Chip
Significance / Meaning of Censorship
Success of V-Chip
Statement of Purpose
History of Media Censorship
Definition
History
Non-V-Chip Methods
Legislative
Link between Television Violence and Juvenile Crime
Levels of Violence Shown on TV
Link between Juvenile Crime and Exposure to Violence
Link between Juvenile Crime and TV
Public Policy that Led to V-Chip
National Campaigns
Legislation
Attempts to Get Industry to Self-Regulate
Relative Success of the V-Chip
Technological Aspects
How Vchip Works
Industrial Adoption
Actual Effectiveness
Cultural Adoption
Public Policy Effectiveness
Has Public Policy Paid Off?
Has the V-Chip and Other Methods Actually Changed Society?
Reduction of Juvenile Crime
Underlying Causes
Effects of Reduction
Secondary Effects

From the Paper:

"Ratings, however, are simply not an effective deterrent. The determined child can simply keep his eyes open and watch as people kill each other on the screen. Ratings do not prevent actual viewing and it is viewing violence that creates violence. Therefore, the only course of action remaining, apparently, is to actually prevent children from watching particularly violent television shows. There are two basic ways to accomplish this that the broadcasting industry has agreed to participate in. First there is the "windowing" of television."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2007). Children and TV Violence. Online. Internet. Avail: http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_tv_violence. Acc: 12 Oct, 2007.
• Duncan, P. (2006). Attractions to Violence and the Limits of Education. The Journal of Aesthetic Education. 40:4; 21-38.
• Hornaday, A. (Aug 6, 2006) Parents Fret About Children's Entertainment. The Washington Post. Sunday Arts, N01.
• Puzzanghera, J. (Jan 20, 2007). Parents Report More Clout in TV Oversight Los Angeles Times. Business Section. Part C. Pg 2.
• Knox, S.L. (2000). A World Made of Glass: Crime Culture and Community in an Age of Hyper-Media. Muse: Essays. 4:4.

More papers on Television Censorship:

• Essay # 67310 : "Changes in Television Censorship"
• Analytical Essay # 133456 : "Television Censorship in the 20th and 21st Centuries"
• Essay # 29829 : "Television: An American Travesty?"

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