Community Update

One of the questions that is widely debated is whether or not children are affected by television. Actually this should not be a debatable question because there have been thousands of studies by scientists, and they overwhelmingly show that children (and adults) are influenced by what they see on television. Viewing aggressive television promotes acting out on the part of children, and viewing prosocial programming is related to positive behavior. This research is summarized and evaluated in a book, "The Early Window,' by Robert Liebert and John Neale. 

In 1968, Reverend Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian Church minister, took as his ministerial assignment children's television. He developed a program, "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" that dealt with topics and issues that were important to preschoolers. Many readers of this blog doubtlessly remember Fred Rogers in his sneakers and cardigans with his gentle, soft-spoken voice directed right at the young viewers as he explored important themes of feelings, including fears, compassion, and anger. Mr. Rogers explored topics such as pets who have died, making friends, parental arguments, and moving to a new neighborhood. This show, along with "Sesame Street," is the most heavily researched program in the history of television. The results confirm the effectiveness of Reverend Rogers' ministry. Children who watched this program on a regular basis developed better prosocial skills than other children.