The V Chip

One of the newest things in television technology is the V chip. The idea behind the V chip is to protect children from violence on television, but is that really what it does?

This sounds like a good plan, but just like most new ideas, there are many things that still need to be considered. Television producers don’t like the V chip because they feel like they are being monitored and censored. Whose responsibility is it to monitor what can be shown on television or not?

There are many questions associated with this issue. For example, who decides the definition of violence? Does the government have the right to decide this? Do the parents? Do the broadcasting companies? What happens if people can’t agree? The V chip is only successful with standards for what is considered violent and what is not.

Opponents also say that they don’t think the V chip or other such forms of monitoring and censoring will be effective. Kids know more about technology and how it works than their parents do. Will they know how to reprogram a television just as soon as they set it up with the V chip?