There has been much debate over the last few decades about the educational value of television, particularly for young children. While researchers have discovered both positive and negative effects of televisions viewing, a distinction must be made between medium and message. Educational television and entertainment programming produce different effects.

Entertainment vs. Educational Television

Research reveals that there is a difference between the effects of shows designed to entertain and those designed to teach. For example, looking at long term effects of television on reading skills, researchers found that watching educational television was associated with better reading skills, while watching shows designed to entertain was associated with significantly lower reading skills[1].

Indirect Benefits of Educational Television

In addition to direct benefits of educational program viewing, like improved letter recognition, vocabulary, and narrative skills, there are indirect benefits to watching educational television. Children who are exposed to more educational programming at a young age tend to have higher grades in high school, leading researches to suggest this is due to motivation and self-concept[2].That is, if children are exposed to educational programming at a young age, they build confidence in their ability to learn new things and incorporate a love of learning into their self image.

It’s Not Whether They’re Learning, It’s What They’re Learning

So what does this all mean for parents? It means they should take an interest in what their kids are watching. What are the goals of the shows your kids watch? Do they teach social lessons, letter sounds, or science? Are the characters good role models for young kids? Do they impart the values and lessons you want your kids to learn? Or are they just “empty calories?”

A Balanced Media Diet

This doesn’t mean that children should only watch educational television, or that shows that don’t teach are all bad. Just as a balanced diet can include the occasional ice cream cone, a healthy media diet should balance educational television with entertainment content. Parents need to decide for themselves what the appropriate balance is for their family.

Bon apetit!

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[1] Ennemoser, Marco, and Schneider, W. (2007). Relations of television viewing and reading: Findings from a 4-year longitudinal study. Journal of educational psychology, vol. 99, no. 2, pp. 349-368

[2] Anderson, D. R., Huston, A. C., Schmitt, K. L., Linebarger, D. L., & Wright, J. C. (2001). Early childhood television viewing and adolescent behavior. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 66 (Serial No.264)