Public Opinion on the Family - Family Life In The Technology Age

The Influence of Television

The Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2003 reports that more American households had at least one television set (98.2%) than had a telephone (94.6%) in 2001. Cable television was new in 1970, reaching just 6.7% of homes, and video cassette recorders, or VCRs, were unknown. By 2003 the average home had 2.4 television sets, and 86.2% of homes had a VCR; 68% of homes had cable TV. (See Table 7.11.)

The 2003 American Time Use Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the average American spent more time watching television (2.57 hours per day) than any other activity except sleeping and working. The people with the least amount of time available for television viewing were women with bachelor's degree or

FIGURE 7.6

TABLE 7.3

Public opinion on gay marriage by geographic characteristics, 2003
	Gay marriage
	Favor %	Oppose %	Don't know %
SOURCE: Adapted from "South, Rural Areas Opposed," in Opinion of Homosexuals: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality, Part 2: Gay Marriage, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, November 18, 2003, http://peoplepress.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=197 (accessed July 26, 2004)
East	42	50	8=100
South	23	67	10=100
Midwest	33	56	11=100
West	36	58	6=100
Urban	36	52	12=100
Suburban	38	54	8=100
Rural	22	69	9=100
White	32	60	8=100
Black	28	60	12=100
Hispanic	36	51	13=100

higher, women who were employed full-time, and women who had children under age six. They watched less than two hours of television per day. Men with bachelor's degrees or higher, who had children under age six, or were employed full-time watched less than two and one-quarter hours of television. Adults who spent the most time in front of the television, averaging four hours per day, were men with less than high school educations, men without jobs, and men over age sixty-five. (See Table 7.12.)

TABLE 7.4

Main reasons for opposing gay marriage, 2003
Based on 898 respondents who oppose gay marriage.
SOURCE: "Main Reasons for Opposing Gay Marriage," in Opinion of Homosexuals: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality, Part 2: Gay Marriage, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, November 18, 2003, http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=197 (accessed July 26, 2004)
28%	Morally wrong /a sin/ the Bible says
17	Against my religious beliefs
16	Definition of marriage is a man & a woman
12	It's just wrong/I just don't agree with it
9	Homosexuality is not natural/normal
4	Purpose of marriage is to have children
2	Bad for children
2	Opens the door to other immoral behavior
1	Undermines traditional family
1	Don't have stable, long-term relationships
1	Causes economic/legal problems
3	Other
4	Don't know/refused
100

As network censorship of language and program content relaxed in the 1980s and 1990s, parents became increasingly concerned about the influence of television on children's attitudes and behavior. According to a survey by the National PTA (the National Congress of Parents and Teachers), parents of small children (age three to seven) were most worried about their children's exposure to sexual content and profanity on television. Parents of boys had almost equal fears about the effects of violence,

TABLE 7.5

Public opinion on sex, marriage and the family, 2003
SOURCE: "Sex, Marriage and the Family," in Opinion of Homosexuals: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality, Part 2: Gay Marriage, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, November 18, 2003, http://peoplepress.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=197 (accessed July 26, 2004)
Gay marriage would undermine the traditional family
Agree	56
Disagree	39
Don't know/mixed	5
	100
Gay marriage goes against my religious beliefs
Agree	62
Disagree	33
Don't know/mixed	2
	100
Gay/lesbian couples can be as good parents
Agree	54
Disagree	37
Don't know/mixed	2
	100
Society should put no restrictions on sex between consenting adults
Agree	80
Disagree	13
Don't know/mixed	6
	100

TABLE 7.6

Public opinion on the causes of homosexuality, 2003
	Dec 1985* %	Oct 2003 %
*Los Angeles Times
SOURCE: "Nature vs. Nurture," in Opinion of Homosexuals: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality, Part 1: Opinions of Homosexuals, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, November 18, 2003, http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=197 (accessed July 26, 2004)
Why are people homosexual?
Something born with	20	30
Way people are brought up	22	14
Way some prefer to live	42	42
Don't know	16	14
	100	100
Homosexual orientation…
Can be changed		42
Cannot be changed		42
Don't know		16
		100

while parents of girls were even more concerned about programs with frightening content. For parents of children in the thirteen to eighteen range, sexual content remained the top concern with both boys and girls, and parents expressed anxiety about programs that promoted risk-taking behaviors.

Concerned parents wanted to be warned in advance about program content. And they wanted enough information

FIGURE 7.7

TABLE 7.7

Public opinion on whether sexual orientation can be changed, 2003
	Can change %	Cannot change %	Don't know/refused %
*"High commitment" refers to respondents who attend religious services often and say religion is very important in their lives.
SOURCE: "Can Sexual Orientation Be Changed?" in Opinion of Homosexuals: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality, Part 1: Opinions of Homosexuals, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, November 18, 2003, http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=197 (accessed July 26, 2004)
Total	42	42	16=100
White Protestant	47	36	17=100
Evangelical	65	23	12=100
High commitment*	73	17	10=100
Less commitment	53	33	14=100
Mainline	26	50	24=100
High commitment*	36	48	16=100
Less commitment	24	50	26=100
White Catholic	30	54	16=100
High commitment*	37	46	17=100
Less commitment	26	59	15=100
Black Protestant	61	26	13=100
Secular	21	66	13=100

so they could decide which shows were appropriate for their children. By 1997 the television industry developed program ratings guides modeled after those used by the movie industry.

The TV Parental Guidelines included seven categories, with three specific to programs designed for children.

TABLE 7.8

What people are hearing in church about selected issues, 2003
		White
	Total %	Evang %	Main %	Cath %	Black %
Based on people who attend religious services at least once or twice a month.
*Asked of Form 1 respondents only.
**Asked of Form 2 respondents only.
SOURCE: "What People Are Hearing about in Church," in Opinion of Homosexuals: Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality, Part 1: Opinions of Homosexuals, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, November 18, 2003, http://peoplepress.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=197 (accessed July 26, 2004)
Abortion*	63	72	39	85	38
Prayer in public schools*	58	72	37	49	69
Issues related to homosexuality*	55	66	36	44	42
The situation in Iraq**	53	62	38	44	63
Laws regarding homosexuals**	41	55	33	25	47
Ten Commandments in Alabama	40	54	30	25	43
The death penalty**	28	28	20	36	30
Candidates and elections	26	28	18	18	40
Number of cases, full form items	848	311	155	154	102
Min. number of cases, single form items	419	148	71	72	48

TABLE 7.9

Public opinion on making it more difficult to get an abortion, May 1987–February 2004
	May 1987 %	May 1993 %	Feb 2004 %
SOURCE: "Most Oppose Making It More Difficult to Get An Abortion," in Abortion a More Powerful Issue for Women, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, April 23, 2004, http://peoplepress.org/commentary/display.php3?AnalysisID=88 (accessed July 26, 2004)
Favor	41	32	36
Strongly	18	15	17
Not strongly	23	17	19
Oppose	51	60	58
Strongly	33	35	30
Not strongly	18	25	28
Don't know	8	8	6
	100	100	100

• TV–Y All Children. Whether animated or live action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages two to six. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.
• TV–Y7 Directed to Older Children. This program is designed for children aged seven and above. It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of seven. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children.

TABLE 7.10

Attitudes toward abortion, by sex, 2003–04
More restrictions on abortion	Woman %	Men %
Analysis based on data combined from three recent surveys conducted in August and November 2003 and February 2004.
SOURCE: "Women Feel More Strongly, on Both Sides of the Issue," Abortion a More Powerful Issue for Women, The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, April 23, 2004, http://people-press.org/commentary/display.php3?AnalysisID=88 (accessed July 26, 2004)
Strongly favor	19	15
Favor	16	20
Oppose	26	31
Strongly oppose	33	26
Don't know	6	8
	100	100
Number of cases	2,878	2,593

TABLE 7.11

Home communications, 1970–2001
	1970	2001
SOURCE: Adapted from "No. 1126, Utilization of Selected Media, 1970–2001," in Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2003, U.S. Census Bureau, 2003, http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/03statab/inforcomm.pdf (accessed September 17, 2004)
Telephones	87.0%	94.6%
Radios	98.6%	99.0%
Televisions	95.3%	98.2%
Cable TV	6.7%	68.0%
VCRs	0.0%	86.2%

• TV–Y7–FV Directed to Older Children–Fantasy Violence. This program includes fantasy violence that may be more intense or more combative than other programs in the TV–Y7 category.
• TV–G General Audiences. Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language, and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.
• TV–PG Parental Guidance Suggested. This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children, including one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
• TV–14 Parents Strongly Cautioned. This program contains some material that parents would find unsuitable for children under fourteen years of age, including one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).

TABLE 7.12

Television watching, by hours per day and selected characteristics, 2003
Average hours/day	Characteristic
SOURCE: Adapted from "Table 9. Average Hours Per Day Spent in Leisure and Sports Activities for the Total Population by Selected Characteristics, 2003 Annual Averages," in American Time-Use Survey, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/atus.pdf (accessed September 16, 2004)
1.66	Women with bachelor's degree
1.76	Women employed full-time
1.93	Women with children under 6
2.11	Men with bachelor's degree
2.14	Men with children under 6
2.21	Men employed full-time
2.29	Men age 15–24
2.39	White women
2.69	Women with no children under 18
3.07	Men with no children under 18
3.19	Women not employed
3.35	African-American men
3.47	Women without high school education
3.70	Women over age 65
3.94	Men without high school education
3.98	Men not employed
4.05	Men over age 65

• TV–MA Mature Audience Only. This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under seventeen. It contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).

A further aid to parents was the V-chip, which allowed parents to block programs they did not want their children to watch. Broadcast and cable networks encoded the ratings information into their television signals to be "read" by V-chip-equipped television sets that parents had programmed. As of January 1, 2000, all television sets manufactured with screens thirteen inches or larger in size contained V-chip technology. Television commercials, however, were not rated.

According to an April 2004 National PTA report, Navigating the Children's Media Landscape, parents had to make day-to-day choices among the media available to their children, including television, radio, newspapers, computers, Internet, computerized toys, video games, film, CDs, DVDs, phones, and PDAs (personal digital assistants). "With the various forms of media that children are exposed to each day, it can be difficult for parents to protect a child from inappropriate content without denying them the excellent learning opportunities that media can offer," said Linda Hodge, president of the National PTA (Parent Teacher Association). The report revealed that 36% of young children had televisions in their bedrooms and children were spending more time in front of "screens" than outside playing. The National PTA noted that more than one in four four- to six-year-olds used a computer daily. Of children with Internet access, 32% of six- to eight-year-olds and 44% of thirteen- to seventeen-year-olds with Internet access had or planned to build their own personal Websites.

Cellular Phones Put Families in Touch

Cell phones provided go-everywhere portable access that allowed working parents and their children to keep in touch anywhere and anytime. The New York Times on November 18, 2002, reported that 56% of American households had wireless telephone service. Many teachers reported that "every kid seems to have a cell phone in his/her pocket or backpack." Tragedies like the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Colorado gave evidence of the proliferation of cell phones, as frightened students called their parents from inside the school and parents called their children as soon as they heard the news reports. Media coverage of the role of cell phones in that incident perhaps spurred more parents to equip their children with cell phones. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, news media reported victims' last calls on cell phones. A Wirthlin Worldwide survey reported that calls increased between family members and friends as Americans were touched by the need to make contact with everyone who was important to them.

Internet Access More Controversial

The Internet was perhaps a more controversial source of communication. On an average day, fifty-five million Americans logged on to the Internet. E-mail, the most common Internet activity, was used by 91% of all homes with Internet access. Research by the Pew Internet and American Life Project indicated that Internet users tended to have increased contact with family members by e-mail. Almost one-third (31%) of e-mail users reported that they had renewed contact with a family member they did not keep up with very often before Internet access.

The Internet appeared to foster extended family communication. Some 16% of Americans said they or another family member had a family Web page with pictures or information about the clan. Almost one-third (29%) said they had used the Internet to do family history research. A fourth of those who e-mailed relatives said they had learned more about their family since they began e-mailing family members.

The Internet plays a pivotal role in the lives of American teenagers, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. About 73% of youth ages twelve through seventeen used the Internet. Many (48%) said the Internet improved their relationships with friends, and 32% believed it helps them make new friends. However, 64% said the Internet took away time they might otherwise have spent with their families. More than half (55%) of parents of these online teens said the Internet was a good thing for their children, while 6% believed the Internet was a bad influence. A full 95% of parents of online teens believed it was important for children to learn to use the Internet in order to be successful.