Kid's television habits are parents' liability

Television stations including ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, HBO, USA, TNT and Lifetime have begun using news, detailed rating systems for their television shows.

This rating system uses letters to identify parts of the show that may be potentially offensive. For example, a show labeled "S" contains sex, one labeled "V: contains violence, and so forth.

A new study by the University of California, however, indicates that these ratings may be inaccurate; their results show that 92 percent of all shows containing sex were not labeled "S." Other ratings showed similar results.

This only reinforces claims that parents should not depend on the work of TV stations to censor what their children see on television. It is the parents' responsibility to ensure their children receive the right kinds of influence.

Our children's upbringing is not a commodity; it is a responsibility, particularly if we plan on raising a generation ourselves -- rather than by television violence, vulgar language and explicit sex scenes.

Parents need to be actively involved, making sure that their children's television viewing is appropriate.