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What has been driving youth mad? My two books, Britain on the Couch
(1997) and Affluenza (2007), have blamed all these trends on Selfish Capitalism. This form of political economy has four core characteristics. One, a business’s success is judged almost exclusively by current share price. Two, privatising public utilities. Three, massive economic inequality caused by minimal regulation of business, suppression of unions and very low taxation for the rich. Four, the ideology that consumption and market forces can meet human needs of almost every kind. World Health Organisation surveys show that mental illness is twice as common in selfish, English-speaking nations (23 per cent), compared with relatively unselfish, mainland western European ones (11.5 per cent). Above all, the canaries in the Selfish Capitalist mine have been young women, the most screwed-up group by a long way, despite living in an era of the greatest freedoms and affluence of any females in any time.
Some critics claim that C4 has had to reflect these Selfish Capitalist realities by departing from its general remit to innovate but this argument is least tenable in its youth programming. Mental illness and a commercial, exploitative attitude have been forced on the viewers (and on the increasingly youthful people who both commission and make the programmes at C4) but the channel’s track record in this specific genre is arguably the single greatest achievement to be celebrated on its 25th birthday.
The channel’s track record in the specific genre of youth programming is arguably the single greatest achievement to be celebrated on its 25th birthday
My personal connection to Channel 4 began in 1985 through friendship with John Cummins, then commissioning editor for young people’s programmes. He jumped to these heights from the most junior production job (researcher) on The Tube. This celebrated live music series was presented by Jools Holland and Paula Yates with an invigorating informality never seen on TV today. At least in the early years, there were still numerous memorable bands – The Jam, The Smiths, Culture Club, Madonna or The Pretenders.
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