A big TV "DUH".

Published by Starfish

The following article was shared in an online group I am in. I have to admit that it made me laugh. Even though the article mentions that only 60 subjects were involved in the study I am surprised that a study needed to be done.

Now why oh why would people let their young children watch this kind of garbage? My children barely watch TV at all. Who has time to watch this kind of programming? It's on cable for one thing, so it has to actually be found on the guide and turned on for the kids to watch. Parents are letting this happen. What is wrong with Word World, or Sesame Street, or Barney? All on public TV and all educational and LOVED by children for generations. If you're going to have the TV on, let it be something useful... please.

Study: Fast-Paced Kids’ TV Can Cause Short-Term Attention ProblemsSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:09 am , by Holly Lebowitz Rossi
A new study of 4-year-old children found that just nine minutes spent watching fast-paced shows like the Nickelodeon television programSpongeBob SquarePants can cause short-term learning and attention problems, The Associated Press reports.The study, which was published online in the journal Pediatrics, was small, researchers caution (only 60 children were involved), so the results should be taken with a grain of salt.  But the findings did show that children who watched SpongeBob scored measurably worse on mental function and impulse control tests than children who either watched the slower-paced PBS program Caillou or drew pictures for nine minutes.SpongeBob, researchers said, is not the problem per se, but it is an example of a type of fast-paced programming that has a short-term impact on children’s attention:
University of Virginia psychology professor Angeline Lillard, the lead author, said Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob” shouldn’t be singled out. She found similar problems in kids who watched other fast-paced cartoon programming.
She said parents should realize that young children are compromised in their ability to learn and use self-control immediately after watching such shows. “I wouldn’t advise watching such shows on the way to school or any time they’re expected to pay attention and learn,” she said.
A Nickelodeon spokesperson told the AP that the study was unfair because SpongeBob is made for older kids, 6-11 years old.
(image via: http://spongebob-squarepants.otavo.tv)

Since this is an opinion blog, I must say how much I HATE Spongebob. I can't stress it enough. One of my children got a Spongebob in a kids meal once and I told him he could only play with it for one day and then it had to be thrown out. When he asked why, I simply said, "Because Spongebob annoys me and I don't want it in my home." I guess I'm a lot like my own mother because she had similar weird rules.