Binge Drinking and Knife Crime est. since 2007?

I think not.
As I was pouring my cereal this morning, and my mother was cleaning down the surfaces, there blazed the ultimate day-time morning TV show; Jeremy Kyle. For those who don't know, 'Jeremy Kyle' is a talk show similar to America's 'Jerry Springer', however unlike JS it's a lot more realistic, British and they actually help the members on the show. This was a bit of a different episode though, the host went out on the streets of Britain to "tackle" teenage binge drinking. My mother at this point shook her head and spoke about "how this wasn't around in her day" (my mother isn't eighty to point out, she's only talking thirty years ago) and how she believed this 'new founded' binge drinking was down to the lack of respect the youth of today had gained. I, being an A level Sociology student wanted to scream, yet for once, I kept my mouth shut.

I have my AS exams next week and to prepare I went to my Sociology teacher's house for help with revision. I asked her what she thought of the "rise of binge drinking" and the rise of under aged drinking. She left the room and came back with a piece of paper; a newspaper article over one hundred years old, and guess what? It was all about binge drinking. Now, me being me and being seventeen (which I love to point out to my parents at least once a day) ate this up.

The thing is, it's all a moral panic, many will disagree with me I know, but the youth of today have such a disgraceful light shone upon them I had to share my opinion. I believe the media to have more power than we give them credit for. I'm not one of those weird conspiracy people, but the media does arguably change and somewhat control society. All the news seems to talk about at the moment is knife crime and binge drinking; the rise of it...I'd like to point out I haven't been around long and my history knowledge isn't too fantastic but I'm pretty sure there were knives before I was born, and alcohol for that matter, and alcohol addicts. I wish sometimes my parents would stop to think of the possibility that perhaps the media is sensationalising for more viewings? After all, it still fights for viewings...technically it's a TV show, how far will they take it?

I'm not naive. I know that knife crime has in fact doubled in the last two years...but you've guessed it! I blame the media! There was a tiny rise in knife crime a few years ago and BOOM they've attacked it, broadcast it, the works; let the moral panic begin. Then more and more young people start carrying knives. Coincidence? I think not. Ask a teenage boy why he carried a knife, I dare you. The answer is disturbing and unsettling; "I carry a knife for protection."

I ask you now to open your minds.

• Slight rise in knife crime, media 'advertise' this
• Young people learn of others carrying knives
• Young people worry and carry them for protection

These days we can see everything anywhere, CCTV allows us to view every street corner... thirty years ago we didn't have that sort of technology, think about sixty or even one hundred years ago. Perhaps we never noticed it before? Perhaps the police have cracked down on certain crimes and therefore charged more people with these crimes?

Point is, The Kings and Queens of Britain have been known to drink themselves into a paralytic state and 'brave' men fought with a sword for a woman's heart.

Have things really changed?

I think not.