Couch Spuds Maybe The Rest Of The World Should Be As Entertaining As Ricki

Researchers are worried about you.

The Educational Testing Service from Princeton University says the high school class of 2000 (not to mention those between now and then) face formidable challenges at home and in school.

For instance, teens watch a lot of television: 43 percent watch four or more hours a day and 21 percent watch six or more.

Ricki Lake isn’t fast becoming the queen of talk for nothing. It’s teenagers tuning into her show after school who have given her that Oprah-chasing boost.

Other stats dropped by the service? Seventy-one percent of fourthgraders surveyed said they like math. That number drops to 57 percent for eighth-graders and 51 percent for high school seniors.

And frequent absence increases from the fourth to eighth grade, and then goes up sharply in the 12th grade.

Any guesses why, seniors?