The question is what is actually shown on television and how often is it shown? A study (Greenberg, 1998) found that in one average hour of prime time television there were instances of rape, homosexuality, unmarried intercourse, married intercourse, and prostitution. The study found that unmarried intercourse was shown the most often followed by prostitution, and homosexuality with intercourse between married couples shown the least out of all of the acts. In another study (What a Difference a Decade Makes, 2000), it was found that intercourse between unmarried couples was two to three times more likely than sex between married couples in sitcoms, reality shows, and movies. Sexual violence has gradually become a part of cable movies and music videos. In a response to competition, broadcasters have also made sexual violence a part of their own repertoire. Often, rape is dramatized on prime-time television with only a brief warning to viewers at the beginning of the program. These aren't just secluded to prime time television. There are approximately twenty to twenty-five violent acts per hour in children's programs (Keller, 1997), compared to only about five to six violent acts per hour in prime time television, and in our society today violence is often always depicted as sexual violence. According to one estimate (Keller, 1997), the average child between five and 15 years of age sees the violent destruction of 13,400 human beings a year on television (cartoon characters excluded). The Kaiser Family Foundation, a California advocacy group, .
Sex on Television 4.
analyzed prime-time programs from the 1996-97 season and found that three of four programs had sexual content and 30 percent made sex a primary focus.
By the time Americans are eighteen years old, they will have spent 15,000 hours .
in front of a television set (LaMay & Minow, 1995). This sole statistic shows how dependent children and adolescents are on television sets.