Sesame Street Videos Spark Controversy

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: Sesame Street Videos Spark Controversy
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 4, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- The creators of ''Sesame Street'' are releasing a new line of videos Tuesday targeted for children as young as six months, outraging some child-development experts who feel no form of TV or video is suitable for kids under 2.

The DVDs -- part of a series called ''Sesame Beginnings'' -- are intended to be watched by parents along with their small children. Sesame Workshop developed the shows with help of experts from Zero to Three, a well-regarded nonprofit advocacy group.

Despite that prestigious partnership, the project has drawn fire from other experts who note that the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against TV viewing for children under 2. They fear the Sesame brand and Zero to Three's endorsement will convince many parents their infants would benefit from watching videos.

''There is no evidence that screen media is beneficial for babies and growing evidence it may be harmful,'' said the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. '''Sesame Beginnings' will encourage babies' devotion to TV characters that have been licensed to promote hundreds of other products.''...''Teletubbies'' has been on the air for nearly a decade, sometimes drawing similar criticism, and The Walt Disney Co.'s Baby Einstein products are very lucrative.

Sesame Workshop had stayed out of this field, but says it now has found an effective way to promote interaction between parents and children under 2 -- something its executives say other shows don't do well....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-Baby-Video-Flap.html

[seabeyond]

1. parent does their job it isnt a problem. can be used as a learning tool

if parent doesnt do their job, it may well be a problem. this is on the parents shoudler. their child, their responsibility

[wordpix]

2. I would snuggle up and watch SS with my daughter at that age & it didn't

hurt her a bit. She was top of her class all through school years.

Parking a child that age in front of the tube as babysitter is a different thing.

[javadu]

3. It Probably Is Not Best To Watch TV for Kids Under 2

However, many of them are going to watch TV anyway. I would rather they watch Sesame Street than the other options that are available.