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September 12th, 2011
12:01 AM ET
Study: Some cartoons are bad for children's brainsSome children's television shows may be bad for young kid's brains according to a new study about watching cartoons. It appears that children may not concentrate and focus very well after watching fast-paced programming. Researchers from the University of Virginia showed 60 4-year olds a 9-minute chunk of what they call an "animated kitchen sponge" cartoon. The experts then tested the children's memory and thinking skills and compared their scores to other youngsters, who had watched a slow-paced educational cartoon or drew pictures with crayons and markers. The pre-schoolers who watched the fast-paced shows did much worse on the thinking tests than those in the two other groups, who scored about the same. The researchers suspect that the brain gets overtaxed or tired from all of the stimulation from the fast-paced cartoons leading to lower scores. But what this means for children long term is still an open question. Several other studies have found a link between heavy television viewing and problems with children's attention spans, especially in young children, while others have not. Some researchers are concerned, however, because the ability to concentrate and not get distracted often shapes how well children do in school. Preschoolers watch at least 90 minutes of TV a day, according to the study, but other researchers estimate young kids watch between two and five hours of TV daily. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends parents "limit children's total media time (with entertainment media) to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day" and "discourage television viewing for children younger than 2 years" entirely. This new study is published in the journal Pediatrics, which is a publication of the AAP. "We can't tell you definitively from a scientific standpoint what the long-term effects are, but this one small study – if it's confirmed – is suggestive that this could be a real problem," explains Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at the University of Washington in Seattle and author of an editorial in Pediatrics. Christakis and other researchers say, that when children's brains, which are still developing, are bombarded with too much stimulation, it can interfere with their ability to learn to focus properly. He suggests that parents keep an eye on what their children are watching. "The point of this study and a lot of other research in media is that what your kids watch is as important as how much they watch. It's not just about turning off the television, it's about changing the channel," says Christakis. Nickelodeon, owned by Viacom International, which produces the cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants," released the following statement to CNN when asked about the study. "Having 60 non-diverse kids, who are not part of the show's targeted demo, watch 9 minutes of programming is questionable methodology. It could not possibly provide the basis for any valid findings that parents could trust." It pointed out that the SpongeBob cartoon is designed for 6- to 11-year-olds, not 4-year olds, like the children used in the new study. But Christakis says the research methodology is solid and though the study is small, its design is stronger than previous research and the findings are significant. "The important take home message here is that the content of viewing actually matters. Many, many parents have rules about the quantity of programming their children watch but far fewer have restrictions on what they watch," says Christakis. soundoff (1,046 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Next »Leave a Reply to RV Service And Repair Near Me
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@Fishstyx: At what point does political affiliation enter into this discussion?
Well, it is....
So is foosball.
do u think guys who create this garbage for kids care??? no, its all about business and politics. if congress aint complainin bout the cartoons, they leave it on
All of these experts just think that there is one type of individual...anyone remember Dr. Spoc (sp)...his book was a best seller, but his kid did not fair so well. There is not one universal rule that will dictate a child's development...it takes time invested by the parents to nurture their development. TV is a norm in our society, cartoons have always been cherished by children and even grown-ups...by Baby Einstein will not ensure your child goes to MIT or Oxford...nurturing your children will help those odds. Johnny can't read because mom and dad didn't quit their selfish ways and put foot to rear on their child. What's next...Erny and Bert are promoiting gay rights in a sunversive manner and PBS is running some covert agenda.....poor Spongebob...he shows good work habits to children, not like his democratic neighbor Squidward....
Sooo....... basically they're saying "Spongebob Squarepants" is the cause of stupid children with low attention spans? -_- *sigh* and scientist just came up with that? who's the one with the low attention spans here? scientist or children? Besides that cartoons aren't suppose to make you think a lot or its not a cartoon its a educational program. Children at the age of 4-6 years old don't have long attention spans to begin with so I find this whole test flawed and is this really what scientist waste their time doing all day?
i agrre sponge bob needs to be loved
I kind of sensed this a long time ago (years) whenever I'd come in contact with that particular cartoon.
It was like super surreal / rapid / absurd .. much more so than most cartoons I remember watching myself as a child
.. and likely they are targeting a wider demographic than Viacom claim to be because their programming
(Spong Bob) virtually sedates kids that begin watching it making parents reciprocally like it because their kids are temporarily entertained / managed that might perpetually become more difficult to manage from feedback loops produced by consuming this kind of content.
I agree that Sponge Bob is not an educational program. The problem is not watching Sponge Bob, though - it is watching Sponge Bob (or stuff like it) a lot. It may seem like common sense, but a lot of common sense is wrong. Hence, it is worthy of study.
The real problem, unfortunately, is that some parents simply do not have enough money or time available to raise their own kids, and others are too self-absorbed to do it. The first group could actually be helped with social programs, but the programs have been drastically cut (along with food programs for single mothers and infants in our state...). The second group is probably a lost cause.
I think the study actually proved the scientists have no sense of humor.
I think the study actually proved that scientists have no sense of humor.
Letting your kids watch Nickelodian or Cartoon Network is like feeding them Sweet-Tarts for dinner.
I disagree. Everyone at one point in their life has watched cartoons. Its entertainment, ppl lets remember to let kids be kids. They don't need to be so serious. their imaginations do need to "run wild". Maybe they will think of a way to get us out of the trouble the bush administration got us in.
I agree with dmjk ...there is a mentality today where we are trained to "point the finger" when we get a negative result from our kids, our bodies, etc. Since when have we given up control of what our children are watching on TV? Cartoons aren't the problem–hour after hour of non-parenting is the problem. Let the kids enjoy their cartoons, in moderation. It's part of childhood. And while you're at it, you don't have to take them to McDonalds 4 times a week either.
In response to dmjk, since when did "kids being kids" mean letting little children sit and become brain dead zombie's in front of a boob tube? And by infiltrating their brains with useless junk such as sponge bob, and pretty much every other kids program, their brains or imagination are not running wild. They're not running at all. I love how this article makes it sound like this is all shocking news. Whenever someone asks me, "Wow Claire, your kids are so good and smart. What do you do?" I always say, "No TV, and very little junk food." And dmjk, a bunch of obese, ADHD, low self-esteem adults, the products of TV fed children, are NOT going to solve any of our countries problems. Some of you people need to quit justifying your LAZINESS in letting your children watch TV all day, and take your kids to a library, park or art class. There they may learn the creativity and problem solving they will need to fix our government, not in front of a box that tells them how to think, instead of letting them think on their own.
@Claire
Claire, get a life. My kids watched either TV or videos when they wanted, with a limit only due to their free time and the restriction that they had their chores and homework done, homework included their instrument practice. That they sometimes chose to read or do extra practice, or go out with their friends or, horror of horrors, sometimes chose to watch extra TV or videos had nothing to do mine or my wife's laziness. And, they also ate junk food with my wife and I.
They (and us) are neither obese, have ADHD, or have low self esteem. Our oldest is graduates next spring with her PhD (while she still plays bass guitar in a band) and our youngest has her bachelors in math, but is actually making a living as an actress. So why don't you get your ass off that high horse and let your kids be kids.
I spent plenty of time as a kid watching those violent Warner Brother's cartoons or Popeye or even, again horrors, the Three Stooges, drinking close to a half-gallon of kool-aid and eating cookies or cakes my mother made and somehow, against all odds, according to you, was able to graduate with a degree in Astronomical Engineering, get married, raise two good smart kids and retire at age 54.
I agree with the Dad above. As long as my child has finished his chores and homework (also including his music practice), his free time is his to use as he will. Generally, he spends his free time using the Xbox to shoot zombies in a variety of settings around the world. This study reminds me of the skewed studies about violent video games - if you let 7 year olds play rated M games for hours at a time, they might be more violent. My deal with my son is if his grades and his behavior are good, he does what he is supposed to do, then I don't control either his TV viewing or his video game playing. Claire may call that lazy parenting. I call it allowing my son room to grow, within reasonable parameters.
@claire, don't be so silly. I have 3 children. The first was allowed virtually zero screen time until he was allowed educational programming at 2. The second was allowed educational programming on a relaxed schedule. The 3rd watched spongebob marathons while I cooked, cleaned, and wrangled the other 2. They are all well adjusted, age appropriately behaved, and intelligent enough. If anything, I'd say number one tends to be fussier, probably because I raised him with a stick lodged up my butt, while number 3 is turning out to be the most laid back and possibly more intelligent of the three. I attribute his fantastic sense of humor to Spongebob. The rest of it I'd say is more or less a crap shoot with bits and pieces owing to how I parented when the tv was off vs what they watched when I needed an hour of me time to scrub the toilets.
I'm now 34 years old, still watch cartoons and work for my states largest energy company. Cartoons did no harm to my attention span but they did increase my imagination and history shows that the imagination has done great things such as creating the laptop i'm typing on at this second. Smart phones on the other hand....
If you are 34, you probably did not grow up on Spongebob. Cartoons from the 70s and 80s were not as frenetic as modern ones are. Modern cartoons do not allow you to focus on any one scene for more than a second. I can see how they would make it hards for kids to focus.
"My foolish capering destroyed more young minds then syphilis and pinball combined. Ooh, how I loathe that box." – Sideshow Bob
So Sponge Bob helps prepare children for the world by giving them the short attention spans critical for carrying on 78 simultaneous texting sessions while engaging in all the other "multi-tasking" we all think is so wonderful.
Hmm...all I know is my 7 & 5 year old tend to cuss alot after watching South Park.
When did anyone ever say that 4-year-olds are Spongebob's target audience? Other than his cute little image, I wouldn't think that kids so young would even understand the simplest things that go on in that series. Perhaps researchers make their mistake in thinking that anything "animated" is a "cartoon" and/or otherwise geared for a pre-school demographic.
Perhaps they ought to consider more carefully – and academically defend – their research choices. The test's subject matter means everything in such a "study". And comparing slow, educational programs designed specifically for preschoolers to fast paced "animated" humor shows actually aimed at older child, adolescents and adults might indeed create imbalanced test results, just as we see here. The selection of test comparatives needs to be reconsidered perhaps (or considered at all at the start).
I would think that if one tested older kids (say those in the 7-10 range) on the slow-paced, educational cartoons used in this same study one could also perhaps yield skewed (yet understandable) results should it be proven that those tested retained little as they all hit their heads upon their desks in total boredom.
Watch out people....Sponge Bob will make you kids dumb....and gay
that's because cartoons these days suck. bring back the old looney tunes, scooby doo, he-man, thundercats, and TMNT...those were real cartoons.
THUNDERCATS HOOOO!!!!!!!
Snorks? Just kidding...
from the sound of the article, the conclusion would be it makes the kids brains tired, which isn't necessarily "bad for" the kids, at least with moderation
Afternoon Cartoons and Saturday Morning Cartoons of the mid 70s – 80s were way more intelligent and better to watch than the cr@p they are making kids watch now. I'm 34 and it was all downhill when Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers debuted.
Some have commented on how the show is not aimed at 4 year olds, while that is true, it doesn't mean 4 year olds aren't watching Sponge Bob. I love Sponge Bob, but I would never let a pre-schooler watch it. I think the bigger message here is the issue of age appropriate quality television for young children. Parents need to select their child's TV diet as carefully as they should be selecting their food diet. Sad to say, that is probably not going to happen anytime soon.
OK..I would have to agree that shows like spongebob really should be watched with a much older crowd than those of four year old or younger group. I have four year old who I do not allow to watch programs like spongebob...She is only allowed to watch the educational shows that are on PBS, PBS's Sprout, Disney Jr. or Nick Jr. She I know has benefited from the quality shows on there. She knows everything that would be taught at kindergarten and much more. And to be honest she has watched educational programming since she was 6 months old and has no learning problems and no problems at all...so you can't say that watching tv more than 90 minutes is bad.
of course it's bad. She's too young for you to know the full effects of how much TV she is watching. She will be more prone to obesity, and in general will have less imagination or problem-solving skills than a child who had to find their own ways to entertain themselves, and spent that time instead learning from their parents and caregiver instead of a TV.
CHUM IS FUM!
I love that the cartoon fad gave birth to the "pedophiles plneand this facebook event" hoax. People have been posting that now, saying it's on the news. Who actually saw it? Oh that's right, no one. Just being lemmings!I for one am keeping my pretty (or at least I think so) face up!
This just shows that we need to bring back Bugs Bunny. Wagner operas, Shakespeare references, genius coyotes... what more do you want from a cartoon? And while some complain about cartoon violence, I have never seen a kid drop an anvil on his friend or attempt to strap him to a pair of Acme rocket skates.
Some of the tripped out wacky cartoons need to be pulled now. My girlfriend's kids copy the humor and take it to school and think they're cool because other kids watch it...but it's not even funny, it's just bizzare scrambled brain humor (a lot like someone on cocaine), there's no adventure, no challenge, no pressure on the kids to grow as they watch. And yes I pulled the plug on the TV after that. There's some funny cartoons out there, even as weird as they are, but they are nothing but sugar highs for the brain–nothing that makes you grow as a person. It's all about personality coolness in cartoons now–it can be badly drawn but as long as you sound half insane you'll get a show to crap out drug addled weirdness to sell more toys.
So is it safe to say the too much multi-tasking at work can cause memory loss?
Ok, forget the brain-development science for a minute. Common sense tells me that if kids (or anyone!) are used to lots of stimulation, they get bored easily; everything slow-paced is comparatively less interesting. I grew up as an only child on a farm, and had to find simple ways to entertain myself. Later in my teenage and now as an adult, I am literally never bored.
The concern isn't about whether or not too much TV viewing will induce ennui in these young people but rather whether or not this TV is harmful to the natural development of their minds.
Haven't they been trying to prove this for years but have not gotten accurate enough proof? I watched Spongebob, and still do, and take tests soon after, I still get high scores, what does that mean for anything?
This is not a surprise to many of us. I am not a big TV watcher and my kids almost never watched such things . Seeing my kids in the room with their peers at 4 and 5...for that matter at 12 and 13...was frightening. Other parents would ask what we did with our kids to teach things like patience and self-control. I would usually just shrug politely, but the truth is...we don't have game systems in our home, we rarely turn on the tv unless we are all watching something fun together (a movie, usually) and we don't feed them crap. We listen to them, we help them with their homework and *shock* we READ to them from time to time. It really is that simple.
Are they serious with this?
Has anybody ever tried to watch "high school musical"???
Let there be no doubt. I suffered plenty of brain damage watching that bad boy.
Cartoons aren't the enemy. Corny garbage is the enemy!
Ok, so... they didn't follow up by having the two groups go at each other in a military shooter deathmatch? I bet I know which group would have owned THAT one.
I'm guessing that ancient hunting tribes didn't prepare with a period of slow walks on the beach.
I don't care what program it is, if your child is sitting in front of the tv so glue to the tv that they don't see you walk into the room, don't hear you talking to them, and are sitting there with their mouth having open and a glazed stare on their face, it's not good for them. Make them watch something that forces them to interact. This is how Sesame Street worked – it created interaction by counting or pointing at letter on the screen. Dora was good as well. Barney (as much as I hated that show when my daughter was little) made them get up and dance. SpongeBoob (and not that is not a typo) just causes the blank stare.
Sorry folks. I can spell. I just can't type on this laptop.
Here's the thing about that though:
THOSE SHOWS ARE MADE FOR PRE-SCHOOLERS AND YOUNGER KIDS TO LEARN! Spongebob is not! Like everyone is pointing out, Spongebob was made for older demographics. Ever notice that those shows you listed are all on certain blocks of TV time? They even have whole channels devoted to shows for younger kids. Nickelodeon has Nick, Jr. As its name implies, Nick Jr. is the part designated for those younger kids! They tend to play shows like Dora and the like (which are created for learning) while your kids that are old enough to attend school are away. You know why Spongebob doesn't make your kid get up and point at the screen and dance? Because it's not made for that. Neither was Bugs Bunny or any other old cartoon for that matter. If you're afraid Spongebob will hurt your 4-year-old's fragile little brain, you don't have to turn the channel to that show. But when they're old enough to use the TV all by themselves, let them watch whatever kids' shows they want.
what is the point of this study again? it seems that the only goal of these supposed scientists is to take away more of our freedoms and our ability to care for our children, otherwise, they wouldn't be stretching logic so far and twisting facts by somehow using a show that was largely designed for children ages 10 and up, and not toddlers, to justify some sort arrogant thesis that knowing them, will probably try to incorporate into some sort of stupid law to mess up our lives. You know, if you're going to show "cartoons" that involve jokes that only minute bit of are understandable to toddlers, then you may as well show em that Bleach anime. The arrancar story arc is pretty good. I'm sure that will increase their attention spans...as well as improve their sword fighting skills. :3
Leave the kids and Sponge Bob alone...."The Kid Are All Right"
It's the adults you should worry about. With dumb reality shows, showing how immature and irresponsible adults can be. The funny stuff is that these show get high ratings. I call it the Dumb-ing of America. That's why we can be mislead by politicians with religious rhetorical and extremist views or by other politicians who want to give even more money to corporations expecting them to create jobs and not give themselves bonuses.
Only in America can the poor be called upon to bailout the Rich.
But like I said....."The Kids Are All Right". Leave Sponge Bob alone.
My 2 cents
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Our generation does not have low attention span, we have always....oh look a squirrel.
So according to this study, Spongebob Squarepants isn't as mentally stimulating as educational television?
Someone call up the damn Nobel Prize Committee; this might just be the most important discovery since "people die if they are killed."
Thank you!
THIS IS RIDICULOS, SCIENTIST ARE STUPID!!!!!!!!
Ha. "Animated kitchen sponge" cartoon? Redundant, much?
I've read the original article and analyzed it on my blog, http://www.evidencebasedmommy.com. (I'm a doctor with three kids.) My take on it? Yeah, SpongeBob is probably rotting the minds of preschoolers everywhere - but it's so damn funny!
cooool.
spongebob is the bomb, no matter what. the people that think it is stupid, are stupid. the scientists tested it on little kids 4-6. they should test it on older kids.
Heck, I was in high school and I could feel my brain leaking out the ears whenever I watched Ren & Stimpy.
This is such horses**t. My son watched Spongebob nearly everyday for 2 years, covering the ages 5 and 6. He did also watch some of it when I did at 4. There is nothing wrong with his attention span or memory. This past spring we ended up taking an unplanned trip. When I told him where we were going he immediately says, "I can do a report for my class." Doesn't sound like TV nor Spongebob has ruined my kid's mind. Good at memorizing his spelling words. This is such BS.
Through all of this babble, I think we can all agree that its not really the show that does long term damage, but just the sheer amount of hours today's youth spends infront of the T.V. Now I'm a 17 year old High School Senior, I watched my fair share of cartoons back in the day and occasionally even some days when nothing else is on, but yet I can comprehend anything and have a great mental capacity. Now I'm not tooting my own horn or sitting on a high horse but all of these comments of people talking about their children and even their own childhood experiences shows that there are some major variables in this study and that you can't prove something just by studying 60 4-year olds who weren't even in the target age group. I know that that was a bit of a ramble and I jumped from idea to idea but you get where I'm coming from. This study should never have been taken and it's just up to the parents to mentor the children and not let the T.V be the babysitter. Like the famous quote from "Cable Guy", "Someone's got to kill the babysitter"
I agree the content of the viewing and the amount of time spending matters. Certain programs like pbskids.org stimulates the young minds and introduces several learning skills at such an early age.
http://www.recoveryfromautism.com
Keep them dumb downed...and dominate.
You never know that the kids were ready, and SpongeBob isn't for adults to criticize. This study is probably off, and ten year olds ,like me, watch television for entertainment, a new and revolutionary way to BE ENTERTAINED!
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SpongeBob: This little guy always tries to do the right thing, and is a hard worker. He may not always end up getting the results he hoped for, but he bounces back and tackles his work with a renewed vigor. SpongeBob works very hard, he’s a good friend, he always thinks of others, and tries to have fun no matter what he is faced with. Hardworking, friendly SpongeBob is the guy to be when writing articles."
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Some really good points made.
The latest post on my blog talks about how some kids cartoons can actually be positive
Cheers
IT HAD LMAO WHITCH MEANS LAUGH MY a$$ OFF
It is interesting to see the posts with the studies. http://astraunic.com/2013/03/27/cartoon-and-kids/
For the first few years of Cartoon Network's existence, programming meant for Cartoon Network would also be simulcast on TBS and/or TNT in order to increase the shows' (and Cartoon Network's) exposure; examples include The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, Cartoon Planet, and 2 Stupid Dogs.:
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