The Regression of Children's Television
Children’s television programs have been steered astray over the past couple of decades, and as a result they’re steering astray an entire generation of American youth. It seems that people have suddenly stopped believing in and appreciating kids’ intelligence. Kids' television has lost the educational quality it once had and has become more shallow and fast-paced. Instead of focusing on stories, it focuses on characters trying to be cool. It uses bullies as role models instead of friends and explorers.This is manifested in the discontinuation of in-depth PBS shows like "Wishbone," "Bill Nye the Science Guy," and "Kratts’ Creatures," which are being replaced by such vapid, shallow programs as "Hannah Montana," "iCarly," and the "Suite Life of Zach and Cody." They have stopped addressing subjects of value that actually involve thinking. They have leapt into a pattern of disrespect, lame jokes, canned laughter and derivative humor which now presents itself through the Disney Channel.
When I was young, some of my favorite shows, which aired on PBS, were “Wishbone,” “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” “Kratts’ Creatures,” and “Arthur”. “Wishbone” introduced me to the Classics, sparking my interest in Oliver Twist, Pride and Prejudice, Old Curiosity Shop, Phantom of the Opera and many other works of substance and quality. Bill Nye taught us complicated subjects in ways that were fun and that stuck in our heads. As one researcher stated: “The National Research Council’s 2009 landmark study of informal science highlighted evidence that children’s shows such as 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' can increase not just students’ interest in science, but also their understanding of complex scientific concepts” (Sparks). Even now, my sister and I both still remember lessons from Bill Nye. "Kratts’ Creatures," a show following two brothers as they explored facts, behavior, and habitat of wild animals, inspired in us a lifelong respect and love for animals of all kinds. Arthur presented real-life situations in ways that were constructive and beneficial to young watchers, while not seeming to do so.
All the shows I have seen on the Disney Channel today seem to fit into the same simple formula. It’s as if the writers assume that kids are not intelligent enough to comprehend something different and more complex. They have therefore taught kids to expect the same exact pattern every time they turn on the TV. That pattern has become one of the only examples that television has made available for kids to see and imitate. As one researcher says, “...television shows and other forms of children’s media, which are in some cases viewed excessively, are prime examples of sources that children can learn behaviors from, and that affect them in other ways” (Brown). Most shows on the Disney Channel portray kids as smart aleck bullies. Brown’s study concluded that on popular children’s cable shows, many of which were from the Disney Channel, the characters performed “almost one disrespectful act per minute” (Brown). People assume that kids only want to see other kids acting mean and dimwitted. It’s as if they think the only way to hold a young person’s interest is by overacting, exaggerating every expression, and spouting snobby sarcasm.
This shows low respect and a lack of appreciation for children’s intelligence. It far underestimates their ability to understand things like plot and character development. It only presents the same simple formula full of immature jokes and bullying. We have cheated kids today out of the beautiful privilege we had when I was younger. Why on earth would we do that? We haven’t given kids a chance to know just how fascinating science can be or to discover Charles Dickens. We’ve trained them to want fast-paced, sarcastic, jokes that are way too immature and down-right dumb. We haven’t shown them just how amazing they themselves can be, as Mister Rogers did. Instead we set examples for them of how to be bullies and shoot others down, therefore spreading the wealth of shallow, apathetic cruelty.
The children of today’s generation are no different from me and my peers, and yet television writers have denied this generation’s children an opportunity I had. There is no reason why they could not enjoy things of substance the same way we did, and get just as much from it. Kids have not changed – only the material we give them to explore life. If life is a battle, which it often is, we have changed the tools and armor we give our soldiers. We no longer arm them with knowledge and information about our world. We no longer defend them with the shield of good character and integrity. We are sending them into battle with the false strategies for how to interact with fellows and opponents alike. We give them plastic swords, defenses with no substance. Every time they see characters their age demonstrating idiocy and a lack of respect for other people, they are learning it, the same as if they were in a classroom. When I was young, PBS helped kids find an interest in learning things; it helped them discover how fascinating the world can be. The Disney Channel sets an example of kids bullying and being dense. It shows kids trying to act “cool” rather than intelligent. It becomes “Look at me”, “Look how cute I am,” instead of exploring the nuances of classical literature or the marvels of everyday science. Kids have been thrown into a shallow spiral of watching adolescents overact. Instead, they should have the opportunity to experience the rekindling of the fire sparked by ingenious minds such as Charles Dickens and Galileo.
Works Cited
SPARKS, SARAH D. "Science Through The TV Screen." Education Week 30.27 (2011): S2-S5. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Brown, Amy B. “Promoting Disrespect Through Children’s Television.” (May 2003.) The Academic Server: academics.csuohio.edu. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/c63311/Brown11.pdf
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