My Humps

More proof that the media misrepresents scientific findings, by confusing correlation and causality.

Here's a quote from the article:

Teens whose iPods are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs, a study found.

Here's the title of the article:

Sexual lyrics prompt teens to have sex

I don't claim to have any scientific insight into the results of this study, but I'm intelligent enough to understand the differences between correlation and causality. Yet the results of this study are misrepresented as proof of causality. Careless, or intentionally deceptive, reporting gives more power to the thought police.

How long before this study is used as "evidence" by some conservative group that demands expanded censorship of music, to protect our children? This is only a minor example of how our freedom is chipped away, but it's important to fight against even the smallest evidence of erosion.

Never mind that teens have been having sex since, oh I don't know, the beginning of fucking Time. Never mind that when you spend every moment thinking about sex anyway, a song about sex just might be something you want to listen to. Never mind that teens who hang out in certain social circles, or come from certain demographics, might be more likely to both listen to popular music and have sex. Never mind that this was a self-reported phone study, and teens are prone to lying about sex.

Just ignore all that mental noise and uncertainty. Take a prozac, slide your brain into cruise control, and let the media do your thinking for you. Instead of spending time with your kids, just make sure that Nanny Pop Culture is clean enough to raise them for you. Why go to the trouble of teaching them right and wrong, when you can just legislate away their exposure to anything "wrong"?