Big Brother: The Most Dangerous Programme On Television

My 13 year old daughter Toni has been keeping me updated on her favourite programme 'Big Brother'. It is the talk of the playground.

The big news this week has of course been the drunken brawl between Victor and Emma, now the subject of a police investigation.

As a result the University of Central England in Birmigham have told criminologist Professor David Wilson to sever his connection with the programme with immediate effect. He is the shows resident 'psychologist' by all accounts.

It is outrageous that BB be allowed to have any connection with psychology. It demeans my subject, and gives the programme a legitimacy it doesn't deserve. It gives the impression, especially to daft wee girls like Toni that this is all 'normal'. The people, the situation, the 'science' behind it etc. The weans see all this as 'real'.

I think this is one of the most dangerous programmes on the TV.

Some years ago I asked a group of teenagers what message they got from the the movie Trainspotting. It was that it was OK to take heroin, as at the end of the day you could do what the hero of the movie did, which was chuck it and walk away with not too much of a problem.

Aye, sure. You'll be right enough. As we say in Kilmarnock!