The most horrifying statistic I've read in quite some time

The most horrifying statistic I've read in quite some time (from the Ron Ferguson interview in the last email I sent out):

Eighty percent of black kids in our surveys at the elementary level have TVs in their bedroom. Much smaller percentages of white kids do.

(For more data on how much time our 4th, 8th and 12th graders are spending watching TV vs. doing homework on schoolnights, see the chart at the end of this email.)

 

I have three girls, ages 10, 7 and 4, so I've visited the homes of dozens of their friends over the past decade.  In addition, throughout my entire childhood, I visited the homes of hundreds of friends and relatives.  Perhaps I live in some sort of weird world, but I can NEVER -- not once! -- recall a television in a child's bedroom. 

 

Perhaps I haven't been paying attention in recent years, so I asked my 10 and 4 year olds tonight if they can think of any friends who have a TV in their bedroom -- my oldest couldn't think of any, while my youngest could only think of one.

 

This reminds me of a funny (and telling) story: a friend told me a year or so ago that he allowed his teenage son to have a TV (and, making matters worse, a videogame player) in his bedroom.  In the same conversation, he told me his son prefered to watch TV and play video games rather than (SURPRISE!) do his homework and (EVEN BIGGER SURPRISE!) was doing poorly in school.  I suggested that there might be a correllation...  A few months later, he told me that, when his son did something particularly upsetting to him, he went into his son's room, unplugged the TV, carried it to the top of the stairwell, and threw it down onto the floor below, smashing it to bits!  I love it!  (He's the most mild-mannered guy too!)  This reminds me that I should check back with him and see if his dramatic action (or the mere removal of the TV) had any effect...