PBS deserves lots of awards, but using a beloved children's character to entice children into fast food restaurants is nothing to celebrate. Families deserve more from public television.
Yalda T. Uhls | Posted 05.08.2012
Besides perhaps fostering an interest in marine biology, it's hard to understand the ability of Sponge Bob Square Pants ability to fascinate, let alone teach.
David Kleeman | Posted 04.30.2012
Today, the concept of "screen time" is complex, and navigating a multiplying array of devices and the accompanying flood of content demands media literacy.
Dan Persons | Posted 04.05.2012
In the newest episode of my ongoing radio show, I review Mister Rogers and Me, a documentary from filmmaker Benjamin Wagner with a somewhat deceptive title.
AP | JAKE COYLE | Posted 04.01.2012
At the 25th annual Kids' Choice Awards, the slime runneth over. Host Will Smith opened the 25th annual Kids' Choice Awards promising a record amount ...
The Huffington Post | Kia Makarechi | Posted 03.29.2012
Though Nickelodeon once claimed a dip in its ratings was a technical error, it appears as though the network's troubles have not been resolved. Th...
Devon Corneal | Posted 04.27.2012
In an effort to address every fear or negative repercussion that might somehow arise from inventive and playful programming, I think Sesame Street lost some of its irreverence. More important, in making these kinds of changes, the show didn't give kids the credit they deserve for being able to separate what's real and what's not.
Lisa McElroy | Posted 04.21.2012
Justice Sotomayor is known for being down-to-earth and approachable. Even so, it's not so often that people just walk up to her on the street and ask her to resolve their disputes. Unless she's on Sesame Street, that is.
Farah L. Miller | Posted 04.16.2012
At last, an actual television critic has said it -- this stuff that we let our kids watch is good. Or, shall I say, at last a parent has said it -- we can talk about television for toddlers without bringing up pediatric guidelines or mommy guilt.
Kuae Kelch Mattox | Posted 12.27.2011
Many parents seem hugely conflicted about whether to go cold turkey and draw a hard line. The dirty little secret in our house is that we allow our three children, ages 8, 11 and 14, to watch TV. But we've set some hard and firm rules for which they must abide.
|
Ari Brown
|
Posted 12.26.2011
This piece comes to us courtesy of Education Nation’s The Learning Curve blog. Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician in Austin, Texas and lead author of the...
David Kleeman | Posted 12.20.2011
Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the long-awaited update to its 1999 policy statement on media use by children younger than two. I am amazed that with 12 years to work on it, the AAP labored so mightily and brought forth such a mouse.
David Kleeman | Posted 11.15.2011
It's impossible to conduct a thoughtful debate, or to build family media literacy, if we allow the conversation to be hijacked by pseudo-science that lends itself to flashy headlines.
Josh Golin | Posted 11.13.2011
Children who watched nine minutes of SpongeBob scored worse on assessments designed to measure memory and problem-solving skills than children who watched a slower-paced cartoon or kids who spent nine minutes drawing.
David Kleeman | Posted 10.12.2011
Earlier this week, a participant on change.org launched a petition for Sesame Street to "let" Bert and Ernie get married. I'm a strong advocate of marriage equality, but here's why I think this petition is ill-advised.
Posted 09.25.2011
Does children's programming lack strong female characters? Jo Swinson, a member of British Parliament, thinks so. Swinson, a Liberal Democrat who ...
David Kleeman | Posted 08.21.2011
In the July issue of "Pediatrics," a research team headed by Iowa State's Douglas Gentile found that parents are not satisfied with age-based rating s...
Gary Knell | Posted 05.25.2011
When do parents stop caring about the educational value of the television shows their children watch?
ew.com | Posted 05.25.2011
The Sundance Sesame Street documentary Being Elmo has been leaving audiences ... tickled....
Michael Levine | Posted 05.25.2011
As President Obama discusses our State of the Union with a much needed focus on innovation, let's focus on one area that is ripe for change: how digital media can be used for education.
David Kleeman | Posted 05.25.2011
The gap between producers' claims of educational efficacy and a consistent standard for assessing those claims, especially for preschool media, is today's primary battleground in children's media.
Levi Novey | Posted 05.25.2011
I was happy to see the show bring up the issue of how animals are threatened by oil spills. But I also thought it was odd how the show made cleaning up a spill seem so easy.
Posted 05.25.2011
"Reading Rainbow," the popular children's show that ran from the mid-80's until 2006, may return, according to the show's host LeVar Burton via his Tw...
Anthea Raymond | Posted 05.25.2011
Imagine a children's television show popular with celebrities, especially musicians. It was on early Sunday morning and coincided with the end of their Saturday nights.
Rob Morrison | Posted 11.17.2011
My new "stay-at-home" status has brought me face to face with children's television like never before and I've developed a visceral disdain for it. The voices! The music!
Susan Linn | Posted 05.23.2012