<small>(For anyone getting a sense of deja vu, I had second thoughts and deleted the original version of this I posted in the Other Forum)</small>

I don't know if this happens in the U.S., or other countries aside from the UK, but in the last few years whenever a "difficult" subject comes up on the TV or radio there is nearly always an announcement for a helpline after the show ends. Somehow it is now regarded that people wil go into shock through watching television but will be cured by a telephphone conversation.

So, tonight I caught the last five minutes of one of Britain's premier soap operas - a dire show that I most certainly do not follow - and, because of a dramatic rape/assault plot, there ensued what began as a typical announcement over the closing titles: if this program raised issues that you would like to explore further....

.... please visit the website http://www.coronationstreet.co.uk/coronationstreet/

Website?

Website!?!

Helplines etc I have always considered pretty weird but directing people upset by the subject matter to a website to me seems absolutely ridiculous.

But perhaps it's just me....

<small>(I went to the site and all it had was some links and phone numbers. So it seems as if all the non-internet households are destined to miss out on this tremendous helping/healing experience!)</small>

Yeah, they often do that too in the U.S. I agree that websites are not as good because far more people have phones than computers or access to them.