Charlie And Lola

Children today have easy and instant access to a variety of television programs. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System, children between the ages of 2-5 years spend 32 hours a week watching television, and those between 6-11 watch an average of 28 hours per week (Boyse & Bushman, 2010). These statistics only tell the quantity of television viewed, and they give no indication about the quality and content of the programs. As society begins to correlate violent programming with violent behaviors, parents are becoming more aware of choosing developmentally appropriate programs that promote a positive message. One example, the animated program “Charlie and Lola”, has the potential to promote positive moral development or to instill negative behaviors dependent on the developmental stage of the child viewing the program. However, current research has shown that prosocial messages on television are rarely conveyed to younger audiences. The British television show “Charlie and Lola” uses simplistic crayon-like animation to appeal to an audience of younger children. The characters of the show, Charlie, who is 9, and Lola, who is 5, are siblings; the plot of each program is centered on their big brother and little sister …show more content…
175). Lola shows defiance by continually telling Charlie “no” and arguing with him about being tired. She fabricates stories and lies to try and avoid bedtime. Children between the ages of 2-7 years would be most likely to identify with Lola based on her vivid imagination and tendency to engage in make-believe. According to Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (p. 182), children may emulate the undesirable behaviors Lola exhibits, even if they are typical for her age. However, older children who are less egocentric and beginning to think logically would not likely be influenced by the negative behavior Lola