[sassymummy]

I'm fine with murder and violence being a part of TV. TV is about fantasy... and a lot of us won't ever deal with murder and the kind of violence portrayed on TV. It lets us escape the lives we have, and makes us face issues we may have never even knew existed.

SENSELESS gore annoys me though. I love the horror genre, but it's getting ridiculous. Movies have no plot, and tend to just want to up the body count in the most gruesome ways possible... it's pathetic and requires no real skill or intelligence.

THAT annoys me.

[Pokerlover]

I so agree.. I think parents should be given the chance to choose which programs can be viewed on their televisions.. One of the programs that I don't want my child to watch is wrestling.. Although the program is for entertainment, the kids follow what these wrestlers do.. In the end, one of the kids would be crying because he was hurt.. I think wrestling should not be encouraged to children..

[Wickedness]

yes, but also the news is quite graphic and violent nowdays. I don't want my kids growing up in a bubble, but it would be nice to hear some good/positive news too not just how we kill each other.

I too think those wrestling shows are not neccesary, kids rumbling is normal play, but when they start pinning in headlocks and doing body slams on each other its a bit too far.

I dont like the BEN 10 show which is all the craze atm, the cartoons are getting quite violent and serious- not light hearted viewing compared to the "old days".... my 6 yo -like all- take tv shows quite seriously!

[miss-understood]

TV is not fantasy... to an adult it may appear so, but as a child the littlest thing can set their hearts a racing.
Never assume that the way that you react to a situation will be the same as a child. Children have a fantastic imagination but without the logic of an adult... if you can call it that. There is always harm whenever it involves treating children as little adults. They are looking for adults for guidance, not as an amusement.
>>>The news... you have to watch it with your children... and some times there is no explanation... the world is not pleasant.

[Guest_Twister8275_*]

YES!
I remember one night DH asked what was on - I said "Death, Death or Death"

We now have foxtel with IQ- so the choice has widened to include 'reality' !lol!

[Mumtojess&toby]

We have been 3 years without a TV now and it is the best thing we ever did. TV is controlling and full of crap that I dont want my children manipulated and controlled by. We watch DVDs sometimes, but this way the commercials and news are not bombarding my childrens minds.

[Ms*Congeniality]

I've been thinking this for a few years now.

I first noticed it when Heroes started - the first episode was really bloody and I turned it off even though I really wanted to watch it.

The sheer number of legal/crime shows on at the moment is ridiculous and I don't watch any of them. I find the only shows in that genre worth watching are BBC productions where the storyline is dominant, rather than the blood/gore/violence scenes.

And as for autopsies - I agree with the PP - who decided they make great entertainment?!

It's also happening in the movies. I try to hire a DVD and most of them I find unsuitable due to high level graphic violence. 10 years ago there were many more M rated movies, now there seem to be more MA than M's. Bit sad really.

[SuziSyd]

Ive been noticing this for a number of years now. I think its rather hypocritical and contradictory, for e.g one minute you are watching the news with something horrible that has happened and then you have tv shows full of violence which are made for "entertainment" purposes. I personally dont watch those shows, I find even seeing the adverts for them disturbing.

Some studies suggest that unconscious mind can not filter what is being input into the brain as fantasy or reality so even though you consciously know it is a tv show/not real, that primal part of the brain and nervous system that we don't consciously control doesnt know the different.

I believe that these shows generate a lot of negative energy that is not helpful to anyone, and I agree with above posts that they are on too early at times when children are still awake.

[eastbelle]

I agree with the comments being made that there's too much violence and murder in entertainment tv.

Years ago I stopped watching SVU because of the constant story lines of violence against women - it was making me feel unsafe in my own home so I realised I didn't need that experience.

Now when I watch shows like CSI, L&O, NCIS etc I can see the give aways for the criminals way too early and the shows are more like bad comedies (Spooks and The Wire are far more entertaining with their drama and are on late for good reason).

We have SBS and ABC on much more now with their docos and often their dramas are more considerate of their audience's intelligence and time. Having said that there are some series when the tv gets turned off or movies are put on and that's fine, we don't need to watch tv every day.

I would like to see a doco about the real number of murders and crime in Australia and another for the US and UK that compares to what is depicted in the tv shows. No hype, just quality research and presentation. Apparently Australia's murder rate has stayed steady for 10 years or more - quite amazing. But being able to compare the real to the fiction would be good.

[Cymbeline]

Yes there is... in our home our children do not watch television with advertising / news, but they do watch DVDs and when I am with them Playschool on ABC.
I think standards are so lax now and I can't believe the kind of images that are shown during news updates and also advertisements for adult shows.

It is one area in our lives where I can control what my children are exposed to, they are only very young children, and imho sadly nowadays childhood is so fleeting, I want to ensure their innocence, happiness and sense of security for as long as I can.