Something tells me that the editors of the journal, Pediatrics, wouldn't appreciate the popular TV cartoon, Family Guy, depicting the adventures of Peter Griffin and his family, including his sinister son Stewie. The theme song's lyrics lampoon the popular lament about sex and violence in entertainment:
It seems today
That all you see
Is violence in movies and sex on TV
But where are those good ol' fashioned values
On which we used to rely?
Lucky, there's a family guy!
Lucky, there's a man who
Positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry!
He's--a--Fam'ly--Guy!!
Two new studies in Pediatrics today prompted the following headlines: "Watching Pro Wrestling on TV May Spur Violence Among Teens" and "Sexual Lyrics Prompt Teens to Have Sex."
Fortunately, both articles quote critics who point out what gets left from the headlines: the difference between association and causation. ACSH's report, Good Stories, Bad Science: A Guide for Journalists to the Health Claims of "Consumer Activist" Groups may be resonating with reporters, though not yet with headline writers.
Perhaps teens who watch pro wrestling and listen to sexual lyrics are just more inclined toward that form of entertainment, since it relates more to their personal experience. Personally, I never watched skiing on television until I started to ski. Now I watch it because I can relate to it.
And of course there is always the possibility that watching wrestling or listening to music could be safe outlets for teens who might otherwise engage in dangerous activity.
Next time you see an article or study that purports to establish causation, first ask yourself whether it might just be an obvious association -- and whether the writers might be advancing some other agenda by suggesting a causal connection. Otherwise, they'll have you believing that bathing suits cause drownings, since 98% of drowning victims were wearing them at the time.
Jeff Stier, Esq., is an associate director of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
