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"Science" Says <i>SpongeBob SquarePants</i> Makes Kids Dumber
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 12, 2011
Modified Sep 12, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 12, 2011
Modified Sep 12, 2011
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Is it time for SpongeBob to move to Adult Swim? According to a report [PDF] entitled "The Effect of Fast-Paced Cartoons" in the American Academy of Pediatrics's journal, four-year-olds who watched 9 minutes of SpongeBob SquarePants performed significantly worse in mental function tests than those who watched "educational television" like PBS's Caillou. However, those who watched PBS described being "so bored my eyes hurt real bad" and had an unslakable thirst for complimentary tote bags.
At issue is the speed of the action on the programs themselves, with SpongeBob being "rapid," Sesame Street as "natural," and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood designated as "what seems like slow motion." Not studied were Japan's popular "Seizure-Giving Robots." While the sample size was small (60 children), the study's author writes, "fast-paced television…has profound implications for children's cognitive and social development that need to be considered at reacted to." These children only watched nine minutes of a 22-minute program, so the effects could actually be much worse.
A spokesman for Nickelodeon told the AP that the study was overblown: "Having 60 non-diverse kids, who are not part of the show's targeted (audience), watch nine minutes of programming is questionable methodology," so there's no "basis for any valid findings that parents could trust." And did we mention that SpongeBob saves lives?
But one aspect of the study probably has the network smiling. Researchers measured how long children could wait to eat a snack after watching the respective programs. Children watching SpongeBob waited an average of only 2.5 minutes before totally going ballistic for some Fruit by the Foot or Dunkaroos or SOMETHING, while other children waited for an average of four minutes. Maybe PBS wouldn't have funding issues if Arthur knocked back a Hi-C every now and then.
Tagged
boob tube
cartoons
nickelodeon
pbs
science
spongebob
spongebob squarepants
studies
television
tv
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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