Do violence and sex on TV influence young people?

Yes. What young people see again and again shapes their thinking, and violence combined with sex quietly teaches them that violence is a good thing.

Television channels today are driven mainly by money. In the race for viewers, what is more shameless and more violent often pays best. The channels no longer see themselves as guardians of morality, and many viewers have grown used to such content.

The combination of sex and violence is especially dangerous. The more violence is shown, the more excited some viewers become. Without noticing, they learn that violence is fine as long as it hits someone else. Yet a violent society ends up harming everyone. You can see it in the growing ruthlessness on the streets.

Small children are shaped too. Many programmes show an unreal world of colours and fantasy creatures that children take to be real. Impressions from early childhood last a long time. So some grow up with dreams and ambitions that have no footing in reality.

Another loss is that people read less and less. Television is a cheap pleasure, but it rarely teaches much. A good book, even a novel, is often woven from real life and teaches a great deal about people and their times.

Parents and young people can therefore choose carefully what they watch. Those who spend less time in front of a screen and more time reading gain time, knowledge and a clearer view of life.