Oh wow, Sesame Street is bad for 2-year-olds!

[D'Snowth]

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20060403/114410850000.html

Just stumbled onto this by accident.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I wonder if they think the same about Baby Einstein?

 

[redBoobergurl]

I saw this story on the news this morning and I'm just like "are you kidding me?" What's next? Singing lullabyes? Playing "where's the baby?" Geeze.

 

[D'Snowth]

My only agreement to this issue is that litle children do have a habit of mimicking what they see on TV. I remember every time I stepped into an elevator when I was 2-3 years old, I'd drop my pants on the way up because I thought the force of the elevator going up was supposed to make your pants fall down...like on TV...

But as far as this is concerned, I don't think there's any danger for little ones watching these DVD's.

 

[Blinky_Fish]

Grrrr...

I got so angry about this I actually wrote to the - Campaign For A Commercial-Free Childhood - This is just another Cause-ite thing that I can’t stand gets the time of day in the press.

You need to look at the groups agenda - Stop harmful ads to kids - They believe that Ad's are harmful and a brainwashing ploy for parents to go and buy unneeded stuff for they're kids. That in the end, influences other bad choices in life.

Er-go, Let's gang up on Sesame Workshop and this prestigious organization that has help develop these DVD's - That encourage interaction between kids and parents at a young age. Because after all - it's just a marketing ploy to sell more licensed items for money...

A) This is a developmental tool for parents and kids under 2

B) As we all know that the licensing monies that are made go right back into Sesame Workshop projects - to better our world - not the Right wing of the US caus-ites

C) I have this little thing called FREEDOM and FREE WILL that I choose to use when I want - 'cause that's what it's for. Some dude in my hometown put it all on paper, like 200 plus years ago. He is also the same dude who says that church and state should be separate too - What happened to him anyway - can we dig him up to help us all out? If I choose to let Alex watch TV and learn from these puppets. I choose to do it. Not some bunch of Harvard idiots that are all about the cause and making themselves feel like they accomplished anything but negating the fact that MAYBE kids under 1 do not retain the information or really understand the messages.

D) Kids 10 months and above DO retain this information. I know from personal experience - and Alex does get 2 hours a day of TV time - but it's what I choose and after 20 minutes without music or something that he is interested in he walks away with the TV playing as he does something else - Multitasking at 20 months... Miracles, ya know

If you - the members of this board want to do anything about this... Buy these DVD's for your collections, Buy 'em for gifts. Don't give some rich doofus the ability to take away your collective freedoms.

Write these jokers and tell them in your own words that they're opinion does not amount to much and to stay out of your home when it comes to your children’s childhood influences.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the rant.

 

[MuppetQuilter]

They aren't saying Sesame Street is bad, they're saying television has not been proven to offer any developmental advantages for children under two. The American Academy of Pediatrics (or Pediatrics Association or whatever their name is) says children under two should not watch television. Lots of parents (and sitters and nannies and daycare centers...) plop kids in front of the TV all day and that isn't healthy. Kids need to interact with their world-- they need to touch things and run and jump and explore and they need people to interact with them in a way television cannot.

Sesame Street has a great reputation. The concern seems to be that people will see the Sesame name and assume this is a really educational, developmentally appropriate product. The truth is, there is a lot of controversy around TV for kids in this age group.

Personally, I don't have any problem with a parent or caregiver actively watching a video with a young child a couple times a week. Used as Sesame Workshops invisions these DVDs they sound fine to me. But the reality is lots of people park their kids in front of the tv as a babysitter and I don't think that's healthy for a very young child. That's also not Sesame Workshop's responsibility.

Sesame competes for viewers in an extremely competitive market. Their competition is locking in viewers at younger and younger ages. Sesame needs to stay competitive. There's a market for this stuff.

I'm curious about the DVDs and would like to see some of them. I'm not opposed to the idea. But I also understand where the criticism is coming from. In a way it's a compliment to Sesame-- that people see the Sesame name and take it for granted that the product will be good for their kids. I'm sure Sesame Workshop put together a quality product, but personally, I didn't want my kids watching videos when they were 6 months old.

 

[Infinity Sirius]

I can't believe they would attack Sesame Workshop of all things. Disney with Baby Einstein has been doing this thing for a few years now, but you would think that Sesame Workshop would spend more time dedicated to developing DVDs for babies as Sesame Workshop's entire purpose is to help kids grow and develop . Sesame Street is a whole lot better than having the kids watch Teletubbies, those aliens scare me. At least these DVDs are supposed to get kids to interact with the TV and not just stare and watch it.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

One of the messages in most everything that Sesame Workshop dose, is encouraging children to turn off the TV, and go beyond just what is what is being taught on it, and for parents to to be active and to communicate with their children, So I really don't what a problem with this video series.

It seems like more of a video for parents.

 

[mikebennidict]

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20060403/114410850000.html

Just stumbled onto this by accident.

I think you read it wrong. It says children under 2 years old and I can't imagine anyone under that age waching TV even though some do.

 

[KermieBaby47]

I wonder if they think the same about Baby Einstein?

LOL, read the article. Apparently they do. What a bunch of...

Uh-oh! Looks like Blinky_Fish is gettin all Architect-y on us (I agree w/you 100%).