Editing Moral panic (section)

==== Comic books (1950s) ====
{{See also|Comics Code Authority}}

In the United States, substantial limits were placed on comic book content during the 1950s, especially in the horror and crime genres. This moral panic was promoted by the psychologist [[Fredric Wertham]], who claimed that comics were a major source of juvenile delinquency, arguing in his book ''[[Seduction of the Innocent]]'' that they predisposed children to violence. Comic books appeared in congressional hearings, and organisations promoted [[book burning]]s.<ref name="haberman">{{Cite web |last1=Haberman |first1=Clyde |title=Two Pop Culture Wars: First Over Comics, Then Over Music |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/26/us/two-pop-culture-wars-first-over-comics-then-over-music.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=13 March 2024 |date=25 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="heer">{{Cite web |last1=Heer |first1=Jeet |title=The Caped Crusader |url=https://slate.com/culture/2008/04/the-campaign-against-comic-books.html |website=Slate |access-date=13 March 2024 |date=4 April 2008}}</ref> Wertham's work resulted in the creation of the [[Comics Code Authority|Comics Code]], which drastically limited what kind of content could be published.<ref name="heer"/> As a result of these limitations, many comics publishers and illustrators were forced to leave the profession, and the content produced by those that remained became tamer and more focused on [[superhero]]es.<ref name="heer"/><ref name="abad-santos">{{Cite web |last1=Abad-Santos |first1=Alex |title=The insane history of how American paranoia ruined and censored comic books |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/12/15/7326605/comic-book-censorship |website=Vox |access-date=13 March 2024 |date=15 December 2014}}</ref>

During the following decades, the Comics Code was loosened in scope before finally being abolished in 2011.<ref name="haberman"/><ref name="abad-santos"/>