As people I think it is natural for us to fear the unknown. We cling to what is and what was so that we feel safe in our little bubble of reality. When it comes to the creation of educational programming and even further back to the creation of broadcasting, we had no clue what it would or could evolve into. When programs started catering to children, we had no idea what the effects on said children would be. With rapidly evolving technology, came moral panics. Fears that exposure to indecent or obscene and profane content would affect the growth of children.
I think the creation of Sesame Street along with other educational programs were major boons in easing the concerns of many parents. In the early stages of children's television there was a lack of substance and purpose. Unfortunately money moved fast and broadcasters and advertisers found ways to profit off of the viewership of children years before we had programs like sesame street. So these moral panics, while some may seem out of proportion, were justifiable. Educational programs served a major purpose in fostering academic and social emotional skills in children. Many of the studies in chapter 12 showed that test groups of children with access to these programs were overall more academically inclined. Meaning that these kids were more likely to spend time reading and writing and do better in school as opposed to those without access to educational programs.
I found it interesting in the first episode of sesame street the amount of repetition used to enforce these cognitive associations; for shapes, letters, numbers and objects. The commercial approach used to emphasize letters instead of advertisements was something I took keen interest in. I wondered if that was simulating commercials because that was the format that had been targeted to children or if it was more attention span focused. I did find the program to be rather long so the sponsors were appreciated.
While the media environment from 1969 to 2021 may have changed drastically, Sesame Street is still shaping the minds of our youth socially, emotionally, and academically.
I think the creation of Sesame Street along with other educational programs were major boons in easing the concerns of many parents. In the early stages of children's television there was a lack of substance and purpose. Unfortunately money moved fast and broadcasters and advertisers found ways to profit off of the viewership of children years before we had programs like sesame street. So these moral panics, while some may seem out of proportion, were justifiable. Educational programs served a major purpose in fostering academic and social emotional skills in children. Many of the studies in chapter 12 showed that test groups of children with access to these programs were overall more academically inclined. Meaning that these kids were more likely to spend time reading and writing and do better in school as opposed to those without access to educational programs.
I found it interesting in the first episode of sesame street the amount of repetition used to enforce these cognitive associations; for shapes, letters, numbers and objects. The commercial approach used to emphasize letters instead of advertisements was something I took keen interest in. I wondered if that was simulating commercials because that was the format that had been targeted to children or if it was more attention span focused. I did find the program to be rather long so the sponsors were appreciated.
While the media environment from 1969 to 2021 may have changed drastically, Sesame Street is still shaping the minds of our youth socially, emotionally, and academically.