Children start learning their own method of control at an early age. They will often see adults exerting control over one or more aspects of life and will seek to copy that. For instance, if an adult knows what will come up next on one of their favorite shows or movies and the child sees this it could stick in their mind that they want to do this as well. Emulating their parents is a favorite pastime of many children, but this is often not enough. The reason why they will watch the same movie or the same TV show again and again is simple. It’s all about repetition.
This is how every last person in the world has learned what they know today. Repeating things over and over, watching the same programs over and over, that’s how a child learns. You might get sick to death of the same Disney movies or kiddie cartoons that play again and again, but to them it is a way to master something that they formerly had no control over. As they continue to watch and learn the songs, the dances, and the story line they begin to learn how to predict what will happen (Wenters, 2017). This essentially gives them a small amount of control, a bit of mastery over the world around them, and it helps them learn while keeping them entertained.
TV is not the answer for raising children, far from it. But there are helpful programs, including the Disney channel, that can be used to entice a child to learn. The same programs are on virtually all morning and sometimes all day on the weekends. This is by no means a call to let children sit and zone out all day in front of the TV, but during the time they do watch it is possible to help them learn certain things such as colors, shapes, numbers, and various other subjects that they will need to continue their development.
They will also be able to learn from these shows and movies a level of compassion, kindness, and fair play that will help them, hopefully, to learn how to treat others and how they would in turn like to be treated. This creates a sense of goodwill and empathy for their fellow human beings. In short, cartoons are the not endall for teaching children how to exist in the world, but they are extremely helpful.
Cartoons are also typically very bright and colorful and can gain a child’s attention with ease. This helps to keep them watching and keep them learning as it keeps the program interesting. Another thing, a boon to Disney actually, is that the Disney channel has begun to incorporate more ethnicity in its programming, and this as well can help children to empathize and connect with their fellow humans by learning at least a small amount about different cultures.
TV isn’t the answer for learning, but through educational programs and repetition kids can and do learn a great deal.
Wenters, J. Why does my child insist on watching the same videos over and over? babycenter.
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