Joanne Cantor

Joanne Cantor is the author of Mommy, I'm Scared: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them. In the article below, she discusses the benefits of the v—chip, a tool designed to give parents more control over the types of TV programs their children watch. The v—chip is an electronic device, required in all television sets made after 2000, that allows parents to block out certain shows or entire channels from their TV sets. Cantor believes that the v—chip can be a great aid to parents in limiting their children's exposure to violent entertainment, but that the news media have downplayed both the dangers of TV violence and the importance of the v—chip.

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN THE 'FIFTIES, WE were...