Blue's Clues, Dora The Explorer, And Sesame Street

Blue’s Clues, Dora the Explorer, and Sesame Street are television shows I grew up watching. My mother sat me in front of the TV when I was just a baby. Did I know what I was watching? No, but I knew that I saw colors and became intrigued. I obviously didn’t know what I was looking at but the television was a distraction if my mother was cooking or cleaning. My mother was not aware exposing me to the TV could have negative effects. Today, no one sees the TV as an immoral object. It is rare that children up to age two haven’t watched television at least once. According to Shelley Pasnik, producer of the PBS Parents Guide to Children and Media, “More than 4 in 10(43%) of children under the age of two watch TV every day.” There are tons of …show more content…
Is there any reason for parents not to believe this? Several television programs teach children how to count, add, and spell. Just look at Dora the Explorer, if it weren’t for this TV show I wouldn’t know how to say basic Spanish words at such a young age. Therefore, parents need to ensure television programs are educational if their child is going to watch the television. With that being said, the child needs to be at least two. David Hill states, “Educational TV makes the biggest difference for children whose homes are the least intellectually stimulating.” So, educational programs can be helpful if some children aren’t being taught basic skills. Regardless of content, children should not watch more than an hour of television each day. I watched TV before the age of two and I seem to be all right. Parents who don’t mind their children watching TV need to be sure that the programs are appropriate and educational. When it comes to an infant watching television content matters, enormously. Children learn more when they are watching TV with a parent because of the …show more content…
Some parents do not understand the harmful and lasting effects the television has on babies. 74% of all infants and toddlers have watched TV before the age of 2 (Pasnik). That is a staggering percentage of children who have watched TV while their brain is still developing. SpongeBob SquarePants is a kid-friendly show created for the entertainment of children. However, some television programs can result in a child having reduced vocabulary (Pasnik). There isn’t anything advantageous that can come from infants watching television. The TV can hinder learning abilities in some babies. Parents should not depend on television programs to teach their kids fundamental skills. Although certain television programs are promoted to the children two years of age, research shows early brain development babies need direct interactions with parents for healthy brain growth (Pasnik). Assuming all parents would like the best for their children, they should not subject their child to the