When the average American child graduates from high school, they will have spent more time using screen media than attending school¹. Yes, you read that right 😮. In fact, even toddlers and preschoolers spend over two hours using screen media on a typical day¹. Given the sheer amount of time spent with screens, and the importance of early brain development, it’s essential to understand whether children can benefit from their screen time in any way. The good news is that research has established a clear link between educational media and learning! 

The most thoroughly studied educational media content is Sesame Street, in part due to the fact that it is the longest-running children’s television show on air. Many research studies have explored educational outcomes related to Sesame Street, which has been shown to not only teach children the intended educational content (like letters, numbers, and colors) but also to increase overall school readiness, knowledge about the world, and social awareness. In fact, so many studies have been conducted on Sesame Street that two researchers conducted a meta-analysis², which explains the combined data from multiple research studies. In their analysis of research findings from studies in 15 countries around the world, the researchers determined that children who watch Sesame Street in preschool showed significant learning gains in early literacy skills, understanding of numbers, and socio-emotional skills. These outcomes remained consistent across the different countries in their report, which suggests that high-quality educational television can have far-reaching positive impact.  

What’s especially interesting about this research is that studies of Sesame Street have shown both international and long-lasting impacts. A longitudinal study, which is a type of research that follows the same group of people over an extended period of time, found that children who watch Sesame Street during the preschool years have shown better high-school grades and more positive attitudes toward educational achievement³. This study, known as the Recontact Study, was a longitudinal study. First, children were invited to participate in preschool. Researchers collected data including their television viewing habits, the content they preferred to watch, and their general family background. These same participants were contacted again as adolescents to assess a variety of behavioral outcomes including their academic performance, prosocial behaviors, aggressive behaviors, and more. In the group of children with excessive TV viewing as young children, this study found lower academic achievement and an increased likelihood of aggressive behavior. But in the children who watched moderate amounts of educational TV, they had better immediate and long-term outcomes. This finding means that watching high- quality educational TV in the preschool years can support not only kindergarten readiness skills, but also academic achievement as far as high school! Impressively, research suggests that the effectiveness of Sesame Street holds true across racial and economic groups, and the show accomplishes these educational improvements for children at a cost of less than $5 a year per child watching⁴.

The point here is not to convince you to watch Sesame Street, even though it is a great option. This body of research is an example of the benefits that can come from well-designed content created with kids’ best interests in mind. Ideally, content for kids should be designed by people who want to improve the lives of young kids and who are working with experts to ensure their content is appropriate, beneficial, and effective. Sesame Workshop is one of the only children’s media production companies who follows this model of designing, testing, and evaluating their content to ensure it has maximum benefit. The next best option is to find expert content recommendations based on research. Evaluating the massive amount of media content advertised for children is an insurmountable task for your average parent. Without the expertise and understanding of what makes high-quality content, it is almost impossible to figure out what is a good option. 

There is a large body of research about what works in children’s media, but it is extremely difficult for parents to sort through the misinformation shared online to determine what is true. We all want the best for our kids, and one way to achieve that is by understanding the actual science behind what makes media beneficial for kids. Our course The Science of Screen Time will teach you the TRUTH about what works in kids media and empower you to confidently identify and use media that sets your children up for a lifetime of success.

1. Rideout, V., & Robb, M. B. (2020). The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight. Common Sense Media, San Francisco, CA.
2. Mares, M. L., & Pan, Z. (2013). Effects of Sesame Street: A meta-analysis of children’s learning in 15 countries. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 34(3), 140-151.  
3. Anderson, D. R., Huston, A. C., Schmitt, K. L., Linebarger, D. L., Wright, J. C., & Larson, R. (2001). Early childhood television viewing and adolescent behavior: The recontact study. Monographs of the society for Research in Child Development, i-154.
4. Kearney, M. S., & Levine, P. B. (2015). Early childhood education by MOOC: Lessons from Sesame Street (No. w21229). National Bureau of Economic Research.