No, seriously.
According to a press release from the University of Chicago, received today, a study of 180 villages in India showed a marked decline in what its participants peculiarly describe as 'acceptable beating situations' (for exampe if a woman neglects a child or is unfaithful) once they receive cable television.
They also see a change in son preference - a measurement of the number of women who want their next child to be a boy.
The reason, the authors claim, is that TV exposes villagers to soap operas that feature more educated people as well as women in positions of authority.
So there we have it - as well as being cheaper than ever, with more diverse content and with more advertising opportunities, TV can also be a proven societal good. And that makes it better than online any day.
Let's just hope that BBC Worldwide doesn't see fit to sell that depressing crud EastEnders to Indian cable networks any time soon.
