TV's dark side. (Q&A).

TV may stand for Teen Violence, according to Jeffrey G. Johnson of Columbia University. He talked with Upfront about his recent study that linked teens who watched a lot of TV to an increased rate of aggression.

Are any TV shows particularly harmful, like wrestling, or is watching 7th Heaven not a good idea, either?

Sixty percent of TV programs contain violence, so the more time people spend watching TV, the more violence they see. Even children's television has more than 20 acts of violence per hour.

How much TV a day is safe?

At age 14, we found the biggest jump was at one hour. The kids who watched more than one hour a day overall, combining boys and girls, were four times more likely to commit a serious act of aggression in the next eight years than were the kids who watched less than one hour.

What about a teenager who says, "I watch five hours, will I be OK?"

Remember, there are many factors that contribute to aggressive behavior, and TV is only one of them.

Why are teens especially vulnerable?

Their brains are rapidly developing, absorbing information like a sponge, so they are more impressionable. They may say, "Wow, that looks cool--I'm gonna do that."

`Fess up--how much TV do you watch?

I quit watching about a year and a half ago. I got sick of the angry political programs. I haven't missed it once.