Want peace education? Watch Power Rangers instead.

[MattBronsil]

OK...the title isn't exactly true, but take a look at this write up on a book I just heard about:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...d.php?t=143472

Most educational programming is actually more harmful towards peaceful development in a child than the violent TV we instinctively move them away from.

A link to the book itself. I don't own it, but would like to get a copy:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/044...SIN=0446504122

[Rose-Roget]

I actually have Nurture Shock in line on my Kindle. I guess different people interpret "Educational media" differently. I, personally, wouldn't put Disney and Nickelodeon in the same group as PBS, and there are only certain PBS shows I let my son watch...and Spongebob never even entered my mind as educational. I wonder what their definition of violent media was.

[sapphire_chan]

They put Spongebob as educational? Weird.

And Power Rangers as peaceful my great aunt bertha. There were several episodes I saw as a kid where the PRs went out of their way to be mean to the outcast characters.

Huh. Okay, have to read the link now, I'm wondering what they made of Dora the Explorer and her jerky treatment of Sneaker.

Bother, need to get the book and read it now. But I think that stuff like the power rangers being arbitrarily mean to the guys they didn't let in their little private club and Dora's treatment of Sneaker are exactly what they're talking about by

Relational aggression, at the preschool age, involved saying things like, "You can't play with us," or just ignoring a child who wanted to play, and withdrawing friendship or telling lies about another child--all of which attack a relationship at its core.

[kittywitty]

Old thread, but I am currently reading this book. I agree the term "educational" is very vague in what they are talking about. I suppose I consider Reading Rainbow or Bob Ross (yes, I watched as a kid) or Mr.Rogers as "educational", certainly none that they seemed to categorize that way.

[MattBronsil]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

Old thread, but I am currently reading this book. I agree the term "educational" is very vague in what they are talking about. I suppose I consider Reading Rainbow or Bob Ross (yes, I watched as a kid) or Mr.Rogers as "educational", certainly none that they seemed to categorize that way.

Mr. Rogers rocks. My mom said he gave a talk years ago at an AMS Conference and everyone loved it.

[Rose-Roget]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

I suppose I consider Reading Rainbow or Bob Ross (yes, I watched as a kid) or Mr.Rogers as "educational", certainly none that they seemed to categorize that way.

Yes, those are shows I would categorize as "educational," not some of the dribble they seemed to be talking about. Was Bob Ross of "Painting with Bob"? I loved watching him work (still do if I ever catch it on!).

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by Rose-Roget

Yes, those are shows I would categorize as "educational," not some of the dribble they seemed to be talking about. Was Bob Ross of "Painting with Bob"? I loved watching him work (still do if I ever catch it on!).

The Joy of Painting. I Bob Ross.

[carmel23]

Has anyone here actually watched sponge bob? I think there is more culture/ social commentary (in a positive way) in Sponge bob then Bob Ross.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by carmel23

Has anyone here actually watched sponge bob? I think there is more culture/ social commentary (in a positive way) in Sponge bob then Bob Ross.

And a lot of name calling and willful destruction of property. The point Nurture Shock made is that younger kids don't pick up on the moral at the end of the show, they just pick up on all the conflict that comes before.

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

And a lot of name calling and willful destruction of property. The point Nurture Shock made is that younger kids don't pick up on the moral at the end of the show, they just pick up on all the conflict that comes before.

Ha, I guess I wasn't thinking of it for a "preschool" aged child, but an older child.

And our whole approach to videos is *not* daily or habitually, at all. I guess it is very different if the child is watching the show every day.

[Kim B Lynn]

The first time I watched sponge bob, I was babysitting. They had a bobathon on. 6 episodes later, I wanted to die. I haven't watched it since.

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by Kim B Lynn

The first time I watched sponge bob, I was babysitting. They had a bobathon on. 6 episodes later, I wanted to die. I haven't watched it since.

6 episodes of anything sounds painful...

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

And a lot of name calling and willful destruction of property. The point Nurture Shock made is that younger kids don't pick up on the moral at the end of the show, they just pick up on all the conflict that comes before.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by carmel23

Has anyone here actually watched sponge bob? I think there is more culture/ social commentary (in a positive way) in Sponge bob then Bob Ross.

Don't diss the happy clouds, lady!

[Gypsymama22girls]

I just want to say that the fox on dora is named swiper not sneaker

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Gypsymama22girls

I just want to say that the fox on dora is named swiper not sneaker

That is correct.

Dora and crew still ostracize him unfairly on a regular basis. I don't care if they have a history, the show's writers need to assume that new little kids are starting to watch with each episode. They cannot do the sort of continuity things that shows for older kids and adults do.

[carmel23]

I wonder if you have the same treatment of books? Most stories follow the same pattern... And I understand the difference between a story where the child is allowed to form their own images and they're not quite so tyrannical as television, where the images are made and basically forced upon the viewer.

But do you avoid stories with bad guys, and any kind of real drama?

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by carmel23

I wonder if you have the same treatment of books? Most stories follow the same pattern... And I understand the difference between a story where the child is allowed to form their own images and they're not quite so tyrannical as television, where the images are made and basically forced upon the viewer.

But do you avoid stories with bad guys, and any kind of real drama?

, I have a tendency to assume older kids will have the same lack of understanding that my toddler does. So I was reading a book to a couple of 7 year olds and as the bad interactions happened I would tell them "wow, that was really mean of him, I don't think it's good to treat people that way" and such. Even though I *know* from previous experience with those kids that they get the point when there's a moral of the story.

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

, I have a tendency to assume older kids will have the same lack of understanding that my toddler does. So I was reading a book to a couple of 7 year olds and as the bad interactions happened I would tell them "wow, that was really mean of him, I don't think it's good to treat people that way" and such. Even though I *know* from previous experience with those kids that they get the point when there's a moral of the story.

My 2 sons reads so much that there is no way I could read everything that they read/ screen everything they read, go through this process.

And they have a very different understanding of justice/right /wrong then a toddler.

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

That is correct.

Dora and crew still ostracize him unfairly on a regular basis. I don't care if they have a history, the show's writers need to assume that new little kids are starting to watch with each episode. They cannot do the sort of continuity things that shows for older kids and adults do.

Have I seen different episodes from you? I keep seeing episodes where she saves him or he helps her, there was an early one where she had to ask him to "swipe" something, and usually they just tell him not to swipe. They don't send him away in the episodes I've seen. I thought no-stealing was a pretty standard thing to teach kids? I haven't seen episodes where they just excluded him out for the fun of it.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by lolar2

Have I seen different episodes from you? I keep seeing episodes where she saves him or he helps her, there was an early one where she had to ask him to "swipe" something, and usually they just tell him not to swipe. They don't send him away in the episodes I've seen. I thought no-stealing was a pretty standard thing to teach kids? I haven't seen episodes where they just excluded him out for the fun of it.

Well, I've only seen one episode. And unfortunately, all I remember is the part that annoyed me, so I can't tell you what episode it was. It was an episode where he didn't attempt to swipe anything, though.

Glad to hear that it was atypical.