Independent Women's Forum - Solveig Singleton

IWF Podcast: Indecency

info@iwf.org (Solveig Singleton) — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:17:00 EST

IWF Visiting Fellow, Solveig Singleton, discusses the special report, Indecency, which examines the many problems with the government's attempts to regulate media content.

Issue 2: Indecency

info@iwf.org (Solveig Singleton) — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 EST

IWF releases the second installment of a special series, Rebuilding Civil Society. Issue 2: Indecency, discusses why the government should leave media content "alone." To read the provocative report written by Solveig Singleton an IWF Visiting Fellow, click here.

Introduction

As each generation grapples with whether and how a new generation of media will affect the children in their care, legislators often respond with new regulatory proposals. The last two years have seen a renewed crackdown on "indecent" material broadcast over traditional television and radio, and proposals to extend these rules to cable television. The FCC and some legislators support "a la carte" rules for cable television, which would require operators to sell channels individually instead of "bundling" them in a package. Some states have passed laws adding a layer of regulation to video games.

The thrust of regulatory proposals aimed at indecency raises a larger question for parents. Is government the answer to the problem of how to protect children from inappropriate content? This analysis argues that parents are much better situated to address the problem themselves, with the aid of common sense and technology. Top-down, one-size-fits all, state-imposed rules do not address the individual needs of families, and threaten both freedom of expression and competition.

Parents are right to be concerned about what their children see, hear, and read. The sometimes vulgar and cruel world of adults is often too much for little people who have no experience that lets them place what they see in a larger perspective. Even the news can be frightening. But at the same time, millions of children and adults enjoy active fantasy lives replete with battles, guns, and tragic death; magic, love, and mayhem- and it is just play. Blaming the media for isolated instances of antisocial behavior is a denial of individual and parental responsibility that will only backfire by reducing choice and chilling discussion.

Women and the Information Technology Revolution

info@iwf.org (Solveig Singleton) — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 00:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON, DC - A new report released today by the Independent Women's Forum argues against the feminist stereotype which views technological advances with skepticism, assuming that technology is by men and for men. This fosters the belief that, unless properly regulated by government, technology threatens to harm women by creating a "digital divide."

Has technology really had a detrimental affect on women? IWF visiting fellow and author of the study, Solveig Singleton, says no. She argues technology has, in fact, greatly improved women's lives in a variety of ways.

Technology benefits women because it"

facilitates communications
empowers consumers
helps students learn more effectively and easily
reduces the labor of performing household chores,
and makes us safer.

Women increasingly are using new technologies to work from home or create non-traditional work arrangements so that they can better balance work and family. Technology is contributing to the record number of women who are starting their own businesses. Technology is creating new educational opportunities, such as online courses, which are disproportionately used by women. The anonymity of the Internet also benefits women; women disproportionately use the internet for support groups, allowing them to seek help without revealing their identity. Shopping online helps women avoid gender discrimination (for example, when shopping for cars).

Among the policy recommendations in the report, Singleton calls for less regulation and lower taxes. Singleton argues women should reject the Luddite mentality of too many feminist organizations, which seek to impose new regulations on everything from cable services to content providers. Instead, women ought to embrace policies that will help lead to further technological advances:
"To create an environment most conducive to the development of the next technological breakthrough, making our lives more efficient, productive or pleasant, women should embrace the innovative, open markets that spur its creation."