Recently, there has been widespread debate over the use of a new form of technology that may be coming to a television set near you in the very near future. In fact, some say this new technology, known as the V-chip (the V stands for "violence") may finally filter out the "trash" programming that infests the average television set and reaches millions of impressionable children each and every day. Many others, on the contrary, believe that the V-chip is nothing more than blatant censorship and in actuality just a form of parental passivity.

Approved by the federal government about three months ago, the V-chip is works in a very simple way. About a year ago, most major television networks reluctantly agreed to put ratings on their programs which would indicate the presence of sexual content, violence, or inappropriate language, among other things. The ratings system, which consists of the following basic categories:

TVY7-Directed to children 7 and older.

TVPG-Parental guidance suggested.

The last three ratings categories (TVPG, TV14,

TVM) also have additional codes which better explain why the program received it's particular rating. The presence of violence (V), sexual content (S), coarse language (L), and suggestive dialogue (D), are the primary areas targeted by the rating and code system. What the V-chip does is it blocks out the programming based on the television rating system. Once parents set what they choose to be blocked, nothing with the parentally chosen ratings codes will be broadcast in the particular home. The only way to access such programming is through the use of a PIN number from the television remote control.

The opponents of the V-chip, though, may seem to have a much better case against its use then those who advocate it. An article in The Humanist, appropriately entitled "Stuff a Gag in the V-Chip," illustrates the point that censorship in general, particularly the V-chip, is totally unwarranted. "The problem with ratings and censorship, in addition to conflicting with the pesky Constitution, is that brains are never part of the equation-a single formula applies to Bellini, Bergman, and cheap skin flicks (3)". This quotation makes the simple comparison between programs that are informative and tastefully done to those that deserve the label of "trash." Although they may both contain some sort of nudity, one being a documentary of sorts or artwork

Some common words found in the essay are:
Censorship Recently, American Prospect, TV14 TVM, V-chip Parents, Patrick Maines, La Carte, Bellini Bergman, Gag V-Chip, Audience TVPG-Parental, V-chip V-chip, federal government, sexual content, blatant censorship, screening la, screening la carte, la carte, television set,
Approximate Word count = 916
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)