Editorial: Happy Big Bird Day

A new study from the University at Albany SUNY connects increased TV watching with aggressive… A new study from the University at Albany SUNY connects increased TV watching with aggressive behavior in 3-year-old children. The report, however, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, does not specify what programs the kids are watching. While an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” marathon would traumatize toddlers, programming like “Sesame Street” can benefit them.

In the experiment, researchers assessed children exposed to an average of three daily hours of television, quite a lot for a 3 year-old.

Television is not a supplement for parenting or social interaction, but the right shows can complement these things. Modern parents cannot spend every waking hour teaching their children, nor can they afford babysitters to fill every attention void. Thankfully, they can send their kids to where the air is sweet.

“Sesame Street” will celebrate its 40th birthday when the new season starts on Nov. 10. For four decades, children have gotten a quality education from the program.

This is possible because “Sesame Street” is more than just a TV show. It is an organization that uses multiple media outlets to educate kids.

In watching the show, children develop a cultural vocabulary that allows them to socialize with others. They can talk on the playground about their favorite character or engage a classmate wearing a Grover T-shirt.

That interest then carries into the Sesame Workshop’s other ventures. Maybe the child wants to read a book with Ernie and Bert on the cover. Maybe kids make friends when they go to see “Sesame Street On Ice.”

Alone, the show still has a positive impact. In the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, a research article titled “The Children’s Television Act: A public policy that benefits children” stated that “Academically focused programs, most notably Sesame Street, helped increase young children’s vocabulary, prepared children for school and had a positive impact on grades and book reading traceable through high school.”

Also, the Sesame Workshop estimates that the show reaches millions of disadvantaged kids in other countries, as well as children with parents who are deployed in the military.

Some of the show’s success is because adults enjoy it, too. Try to watch the Yep Yep aliens without laughing. It exists in a quirky world filled with androgynous monsters, depressive hobos and hallucinating birds — until 1985, only Big Bird could see Snuffleupagus. Jim Henson created a wild and fantastic cast. After 40 years, it is a place of nostalgia for grown-ups.

“Sesame Street” has changed a lot since its premiere. A New York Times article chronicles how Cookie Monster gave up smoking a pipe and how Oscar found Zoloft. Yet it remains relevant, educational and entertaining, so long as parents use it in small doses. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of two hours of “quality programming” per day.

The Sesame Workshop organization does not claim that TV will act as a panacea for illiterate children. Rather, it says, “We know media alone can’t solve the problems of our world.” This is an acknowledgment that “Sesame Street” cannot replace the social development children gain by interacting with friends and family members.

Parents still need to read to their kids or take them to a playground. But on a rainy day, there is nothing wrong with sweeping the clouds away every now and then. Happy birthday, “Sesame Street.” Here’s to another 40. Just get rid of Elmo.