Nothing within our society has the same reach or influence as entertainment – not elected officials, not teachers, not even religious leaders. As evidence, kids will spend more time watching TV this year than they will going to school and attending church. And studies now show that this constant exposure to entertainment is having a profound impact on the character development of our children and is affecting the culture we live in.
While this news may be unsettling, is also means there is an enormous opportunity. We believe that entertainment presents the most effective means for making positive impact on our country’s culture. That’s because entertainment, when it is good, has the ability unlike anything else to stir emotion, open hearts and help us see the world with possibility. We simply need to make more positive content available.
Foundation Entertainment is dedicated to the advancement of family entertainment that builds character and culture.
Entertainment Facts & Feelings
Facts
Out of 1,000 current primetime broadcast and cable shows, parents rate only 18% as appropriate for their children… and half of those programs are cartoons.
Kids spend over 3,000 hours each year engaged in TV, movies and video games vs. fewer than 1,000 hours in school and fewer than100 hours in church.
Heavy TV consumption (more than 4 hours per day) lowers an individual’s concern for honesty, reliability, fairness and charity by an average of 30%.
Between 1998 and 2006, instances of violence during primetime television increased by more than 100%.
Feelings
95% of moms wished the American culture would make it easier to instill positive values in their children.
Almost 80% of parents said they are either very or somewhat concerned that “profanity, inappropriate sexual content and violence on TV programs has had a negative effect”
on their children.
2/3rds of moms are “very” concerned that children are
being exposed to too much inappropriate content
(violence and sex).
70% of parents believe their children’s ability to learn, and teachers’ ability to teach is negatively impacted by TV.
68% of parents believe that the media is responsible for undermining personal responsibility.
Data referenced is from the following sources: 2010 FPE Motherhood Study, 2010 Program Evaluation Study, 2009 FPE Values Study, 2007 Parents TV Council Report, 2010 Alliance for Family Entertainment Trends Survey. For more information, please contact Foundation Entertainment.