Sam Askew, Campus Carrier managing editor
With growing access to technology and the internet, kids today have many different forms of media being thrown at them. From YouTube to Netflix, children, more specifically parents, have to choose wisely what to spend their time watching. Shows like “Spongebob Squarepants,” “Cocomelon” and others instill unrealistic values and elements into children’s brains. Various YouTube channels aimed at children promote this same unsteady content. With this varied media, children’s mental health is on the decline. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in three high school students had experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2019, a 40% increase since 2009; also, one in six youth reported making a suicide plan in 2019, a 44% increase since 2009. The correlation between increasing mental health concerns and media that children are watching is undeniable.
The best thing for a child to watch is, of course, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” In his show, Fred Rogers opts for a softer tone and more educational content. Mr. Rogers’ show got its start in 1968, when shows of the time were filled with slapstick humor and rather obscene violence. Mr. Rogers felt that this form of children’s media was merely flashy colors and loud sounds, nothing suitable for development. He opted for a type of children’s show that would enrich their growing minds and fill them with suitable, enriching content.
One might wonder if Mr. Rogers’ show is still relevant for kids of modern times. Kids today can access any sort of media they wish to access, so why should they watch Mr. Rogers? The key message in Mr. Rogers’ program is love; not only love for others, but also love for yourself. Children need to understand that they are fine the way that they are, and there is no need to prove themselves or be something that they are not. Undoubtedly, youth mental health crises revolve around lack of self-confidence, self-love and love for others. Today’s children’s media makes little to no effort to reassure kids that they are okay the way that they are, instead opting for some insignificant joke or slapstick accident. While this may provide entertainment, it is only a fleeting bit of pleasure and nothing significant for long-term development. The goal of children’s entertainment should be to nourish their developing brains rather than fill the screen with colors and flashes to keep them distracted.
The effect of modern children’s media is clearly seen through the lack of stability in youth mental health. How long should this continue to fester until the correlation and causations is seen and action is taken? “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” is the best thing a child can watch because it is made not only with children in mind but learning in mind as well. The only other show that has come close to the same caliber as Mr. Rogers is “Sesame Street,” but even that show is declining in quality and educational elements as it progresses.
Mr. Rogers’ consistency is another plus that it has over other children’s shows. Throughout the entirety of its runtime, it remained using the same formula, covering topics such as what to do with your feelings, death, disabilities and national emergencies. Mr. Rogers saw children as people rather than objects of monetary gain. This is a distinction that most modern shows lack. Being that most children’s shows are merely a tool used by some parents to distract their kids, Mr. Rogers sought a better opportunity for children’s television. His program is still beloved by many adults as it was popular in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Children today have the distinct misfortune of growing up without this wholesome content and instead grow up with pointless shows and shallow role models.