Receptive media, which includes television shows, movies, and videos, is the most popular form of media content for young children. Decades of research have shown that children can and do learn from television, but what they learn depends on the type of content they are watching. The most highly researched form of children’s television is educational media. 

First introduced in the 1940s, children’s educational television has a demonstrated history of supporting learning. Research has shown significant positive effects of early exposure to educational content on both short-term and long-term learning outcomes for children around the world. For example, an international study in 15 countries showed positive cognitive outcomes, including knowledge about the world and social reasoning, for children who watched Sesame Street from an early age. Similarly, a long-term study found that educational television exposure in preschool predicted children’s school readiness in kindergarten as well as their academic achievement in high school! 

The long-term effects of television viewing on young children highlights the importance of children’ ability to transfer knowledge from screen media and the necessity of choosing high-quality media from an early age. While educational media has shown strong positive outcomes, studies have similarly demonstrated strong negative outcomes for violent media. The bottom line is that children learn from what they see. Television shows will often make the mistake of showing children a negative behavior that is corrected throughout the story of the show, but young children do not understand this type of consequence and outcome. Rather, they have been shown to copy the negative behavior. It’s essential to help your children choose and use high-quality media with positive messages, and ideally educational outcomes, in order to optimize their screen time. What your child views now can impact their knowledge and behavior for many years to come. We’re here to help you choose wisely!

Recent research about children’s learning from media suggests that receptive and interactive (apps on a touchscreen) media may actually activate different areas of children’s brains. For this reason, the two media types may be best suited to different types of learning. Come back next week for an overview of children’s learning from interactive touchscreen apps and games!