Does TV really influence behavior? The producers say no; common sense, the government, research studies and the overwhelming majority of people apply common sense and say yes. Thorough behavioral study conclusively proves that what you put into your mind affects how you think and, consequently, how you act.
Examples: In a past Super Bowl Pepsi commercial, the Pepsi-Cola addition to aquariums with the cartoon fish happily coming back to life once the Pepsi was added, has brought an onslaught of kids dumping Pepsi into their aquariums. Fish have died, others have been endangered. When "The Deer Slayer" was shown on television, the first year 32 people lost their lives playing the game of Russian Roulette in exactly the same way depicted in the movie.
Athletes performing glorified, obnoxious gyrations when they make a significant play are being copied by six-year-olds as they play at sports. Alcohol sales in Sweden dropped 20% when the alcohol commercials were taken off television.
The tired old advice that if you don't like what you see turn the TV set off really is asinine and meaningless. We could also stop crime in the streets, schools and workplace if everyone stayed in their homes.
Question: What can we do? Some major companies are already withdrawing their ads from television shows that feature too much sex and violence. You - yes YOU - can write the sponsors of the offending programming and tell them you have stopped buying their products until they discontinue sponsoring shows that are patently offensive because of their gratuitous sex and violence. Margaret Thatcher was right; freedom does not include freedom from responsibility. I'm not talking about censorship. I'm talking about exercising our freedom to refuse to pay to have our values destroyed and our lives endangered. No, we are not trying to force our moral values down their throats. Yes, we do want to stop them from forcing their immoral values down our throats. Write those letters. You'll get results. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
Zig Ziglar is known as America’s Motivator. He authored 33 books and produced numerous training programs. He will be remembered as a man who lived out his faith daily