ITV boss hits out at swearing (contains strong language)

It has frequently been said that television is only a reflection of what happens in real life, but on closer inspection it's usually the case that it's the other way round. People are often influenced by what they see and hear on television even if they think otherwise, and we're likely to spend more time watching television than talking to other people.

Whilst most adults are no longer offended by what may be regarded by 'strong language', we always have to remember the context in which it is used. My issue is that because some broadcasters feel that is is OK to use 'bad language' freely under certain circumstances, it has now become more commonplace and as a result has caused a gradual 'dumbing down' of both language and content.

Sadly it is a lack of regulation which has caused standards to fall in this area since broadcasters can easily argue that 'anything goes' when it comes to post-watershed language, and although the BBC is still rightly careful in this regard its commercial companions are often not as scrupulous when it comes to such matters. Television is a very powerful medium but needs a stronger degree of regulation to match.