I was babysitting the other day for a 5 year old little girl and after picking her up at school her mom told me she was allowed to watch a television show. I was shocked by how much television programs for children have changed since I was young. Since my family did not have cable when I was growing up, I can remember watching Seaseme Street, Barney, Arthur, and other shows on PBS. The child I was babysitting for and I watched a show on Nick Jr. called "Wow Wow Wubbzy" about a cartoon character that looks kind of like a squirrel but is totally unrealistic looking and its friends. The main focus of the episodes was social skills. Although the story lines were well-intentioned, and conveyed simple messages about self-awareness, sharing, and responsibility, the images and songs were mind numbing.
This experience got me wondering about if shows that are popular these days are good for children's development I started to think about how they might compare to shows with real people in them, and also how they compare to literature. I have noticed that a lot of the children I have babysat for over the years have been more interested in watching TV shows than playing out side, or playing with their toys.
I noticed that the Nick Jr. channel as well as other children's channels do a wonderful job at creating entertainment that is appealing for children and really draws them in, almost getting them addicted. One show leads right into another which hardly a break, there are no commercials, and if there are breaks in the show they are filled with short clips that often end with "Stay tuned and find out!". As a babysitter it is often hard to get the children away from the TV and engaged in play. I am wondering that even though most of these shows seem to be educational and seems to be teaching positive values, and they really 'good' for children?
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