Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Mon, Aug 3 1992 Date: Mon, 3 Aug 92 03:33:15 EDT Message-ID: 08-03 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update Aug. 3, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network CHILD-CARE MARKET IS GROWING: U.S. Census figures indicate a growing market for live-in child-care help. Nearly 18 million two-career families in the USA have one or more children. Nearly 25% of such households have at least one child under age six. Of that number, 2.4% have what the Census Bureau calls a non-relative providing child care. AU PAIRS ON THE RISE: Many foreigners coming to the USA take child-care jobs with an American family in exchange for room and board. "The interest on both sides of the Atlantic is increasing immensely," said Paul Wehrlin, of EF Au Pair, based in Cambridge. Wehrlin said the number of people the agency places each year has increased steadily since 1989 and totals about 2,500 around the USA. CHILDREN IN RIGHTS MOVEMENT: Increasingly, the line separating childhood from adulthood is becoming blurred as the issue of children's rights flares in courtrooms across the country. Children in parts of Florida and Illinois recently earned the right to essentially sue abusive or negligent parents for a "divorce." Also, a Florida judge recently ruled that 15-year-old girls can agree to have sex with adults. (For more, see special Rights package below.) COLLEGES SEE BUDGETS DWINDLE: Public colleges are bracing for another year of severe budget cuts. A report in Campus Trends shows 61% of public four-year colleges and 73% of two-year colleges were hit with mid-year budget cuts last school year because their states cut subsidies. The cuts take their toll on students, creating larger and fewer classes and tuition hikes. Many faculty and administrators face salary freezes. MORE TAKING THE FALL: In five years, bungee has grown from two brothers sending small groups of daredevils off bridges in California to more than 1 million jumpers nationwide. In just one year, the number of operators has leaped from 30 to 250. The North American Bungee Association now has 120 members, adding about two a week. What began as a hobby is now a $40 million-a-year industry. THE DECADE THAT WAS: Trade mag Electronic Media publishes its 10th anniversary issue Monday including a poll of its well-connected industry readership. Ted Turner was named the one person with the most influence and impact on TV over the last decade and his TBS (36%) edged out Fox Broadcasting (33%) as the company with the most impact. Reality TV (38%) was named the most important programming trend. POST TO ACCEPT PERSONAL ADS: The Washington Post is the latest daily to see money in love, breaking with tradition to accept personal ads. The Post will take the plunge next month. To answer an ad, a reader must dial a special audiotext telephone number and leave a message - at a cost of $1.50 a minute for the first three minutes, free beyond that. `ZINE' SCENE GETS HEAVY: The "zine" (short for magazine) scene is a thriving netherworld of home-based, self-published tracts by cranks and kooks, ranters and ravers and just plain folks who want to have their say in print. They are sometimes primitive and the subjects are limitless. Such titles as "Diseased Pariah News," for AIDS sufferers and "Murder Can Be Fun" are not uncommon. CRACKER JACK EXPANDS: The selection of peanuts and Cracker Jack is widening. The candy coated popcorn immortalized in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" now comes in two flavors. Butter Toffee Cracker Jack hits the national market this month - the first new flavor in the snack's 99-year history. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON RIGHTS: NEW FIELD OF LAW EMERGING: In such states as Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas and a few others, juveniles who are charged with murder or other violent crimes are treated as adults. It's now up to the defense to prove they should be treated as juveniles, a reversal of practices in most other states. "We're right at the edge, right at the beginning of this new field of law," said lawyer Sylvia Ibanez. NO END IN SIGHT: No one seems to know where it will end. The issue gives rise to questions about other age-specific laws for driving, drinking alcohol, voting, holding a job or being able to sue. "It's yes here, no here, maybe here, case by case here, class by class here, without reflecting how the family is involved," said Jack Levine, executive director of the Florida Center for Children and Youth. MORE KIDS FACE DANGER: The cases reflects a changing society, one where children are exposed to, receive and inflict more violence than ever before, experts say. "About 1.3 million kids hit the streets every day risking danger, because what's at home is far more dangerous than the street," said Jeanne Lenzer, who chairs the National Child Rights Alliance. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM