Cartoons, attention spans and bright red vans

Children and Television  - untangle your mind with Postman Pat

There's been a lot of controversy in the media recently about a research study into the effect of cartoons on children's attention spans.  Now, just as the parent in me loves to sniff out and torture myself with any story that might suggest I am ruining my children, there's also a media analyst in me who can't resist a good read too.  Before I had children, I studied and taught children and media.

For every study that points to the harmful effects of television, another celebrates the medium. It really all comes down to context. The study in question suggested certain fast paced cartoons with surreal narratives, reduced children's attention spans, more than drawing or slower paced cartoons.  Whether that was a temporary or lasting effect wasn't determined, and I think that's the crux of it.  Sometimes having my brain fried by a genius thriller is a desirable effect of television, one I actively seek, as is being brought to tears by a great piece of music.   Is it that different for children?

I think it comes down to what is known in Media Studies as uses and gratifications theory.  The idea that we select media to meet our own uses and gratifications.  My children do this on a daily basis, they choose different programmes to relax, to be scared, to learn, to sing, to dance, to laugh, to be silly.  I try and encourage them to make their own choices from a pool of channels and DVDs I feel are age appropriate. I think it comes down to common sense.

I thought about the research while watching a Postman Pat DVD we had been sent a review copy of.  It wasn't that special delivery stuff, just vintage Pat.  The parent and the media analyst in me immediately warmed to its simpleness, it's not full of  jump cuts, pseudo educational interludes or strange computer animated creatures. It's old fashioned animation, lovingly rooted in the narratives of everyday country life. It unfolds gently, the birds sing, the sun shines, the green hills roll.  It's positively relaxing to watch. I challenge you not to hear the jangly guitar and singing of the theme tune and not 'feel you're a very happy wo/man'.

Nowadays there is far more pressure on parents to guide children through the huge variety of media out there.  Perhaps a trip down memory lane, to a time when television was a less 'sophisticated' medium, is the solution now and again.  It  was the perfect antidote for me.  Postman Pat definitely stands the test of time.  I also love Mr Benn, Magic Roundabout and the Flumps.  Which programmes stand the test of time in your house?

Turns out it's Pat's 30th by the way. Blimey. Sorry, if like me, that makes you feel old.  I remember sitting in the story corner in my primary school classroom, stroking a cardboard cut out of Jess the cat, while rehearsing the Postman Pat theme tune for our class assembly.  How time flies.

To celebrate his 30th, Pat has a new DVD out.  it comes with a free CD of rocking tunes too, which Mr G loved.  And its only a fiver on Amazon right now.

Media Monkeys - Kids say the funniest things

Once upon a time, in a faraway place, before I had children, in what seems many moons ago, I taught Media in a secondary school.   My A level groups did a research project called Children and Television, in which they researched the effects of television on young minds.  This often resulted in them making hugely spurious claims of the effects of television.  My role was to challenge them to see young children as more than porous empty vessels to be loaded with violent, sexist, consumerist, mixed up messages about the world. Now I have children, life feels like a daily media research project.  I still credit children with being incredibly media savvy, they can decode messages, and process them in line with what they already know about the world.  But I realise my four year old is going to need a lot of help with that ( 'Mummy stop, look at the terrovision, I want that!').  I realise how important media education and literacy is (I have listed some resources for young children below).  By that I don't mean teaching media is bad, it's not.  In fact much of it is hugely creative and exciting.  It also offers huge employment possibilities, who knows maybe my children will become ad designers or TV producers.  But learning to decode television's messages and make up your own mind, that's what I will be aiming for.  Especially after this exchange with four year old Miss L:

Miss L and gran are beating buttercream for fairy cakes.  Miss L loses her grip on the spoon and smears buttercream across her dress.

Miss L: Mummy is it tough?
Me: Yes, mixing buttercream is very tough.
Miss L: No I mean is it tough stains. I saw it on the telly. For tough stains you need something to put in the washing machine.
Me: ha ha, spluttering on my tea.

I had no idea she was picking up so much from adverts, she rarely even watches programming with ads.  So forget learning to count and write letters for now, we are going to start media education.  Here is an excellent list of five tips to create awareness of advertising and here is a fascinating snippet of research into three year old's brand awareness.  Would love to hear about other people's advertising/tv experiences.

Picture credit The Advertising Archive