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Cartoons aren’t what they used to be. I’m sure nearly every generation has said that but even still, I can’t help it. What ever happened to The Flintstones, The Jetsons, or Bugs Bunny?
Today Bugs Bunny has been replaced with characters like Sponge Bob Square Pants. The animated cartoon sea sponge that works as a fry cook in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom.
But recently, the oversized sponge phenomenon has been in hot water because of a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, which found that Sponge Bob can cause learning problems in 4-year olds.
According to the Associated Press:
The problems were seen in a study of 60 children randomly assigned to either watch "SpongeBob," or the slower-paced PBS cartoon "Caillou" or assigned to draw pictures. Immediately after these nine-minute assignments, the kids took mental function tests; those who had watched "SpongeBob" did measurably worse than the others.
Study authors were careful to find that it wasn’t just Sponge Bob that was the problem, but other shows with a similar pace could also be detrimental.
Again, the Associated Press:
[Dimitri Christakis, MD, a child development specialist at Seattle Children's Hospital] said parents need to realize that fast-paced programming may not be appropriate for very young children. "What kids watch matters, it's not just how much they watch," he said.
While the study was small and Sponge Bob is actually aimed at 6 to 11 year olds not 4 year olds, parents should still be aware that there are several correlations between what kids watch on television and their ability to learn. Learning doesn't just happen doing the school day, smart kids are learning throughout the day and much of that time is spent at home.
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