Most Americans think that there the level of violence on TV is excessive, but there is a large age divide on its impact
The new FX drama The Bastard Executioner is the latest in a line of graphically violent TV shows which have hit the air in recent years. Game of Thrones blazed the trail with the heads on spikes and, it being HBO, a heavy dose of female nudity.
YouGov's latest research shows that most Americans (61%) believe that the level of violence depicted on TV is excessive while only 24% do not believe it is excessive. There is a large age divide on the issue, however, as over-65s (82%) are almost twice as likely as under-30s (43%) to say that the level of violence is excessive.
This age divide extends to the perception of how bad it is for children to see bloody violence on TV. A large majority of Americans (87%) agree that it is bad for children to see bloody violence, but younger Americans are much more likely to say that it is not 'very bad'. 39% of under-30s say that watching bloody violence is very bad for children, compared to 80% of over-65s.
Part of the difference when it comes to perception of violence on TV comes down to the fact that younger Americans are much more likely to actually find graphic violence entertaining. 32% of under-30s, and 30% of people aged 30 to 44, say that they are entertained by graphic violence on TV. Only 5% of over-65s and 19% of people aged 45 to 64 agree.
