SpongeBob found to hurt children's ability to concentrate University, attention, subjects, children, studying

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Sitting through an episode of the fast-paced cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants might give parents a headache, but a new study suggests that even a segment of the popular kids show can impair children's ability to learn and may shorten their attention span.

After studying 60 four-year-olds, University of Virginia researchers say that just nine minutes of the show can hurt the problem-solving abilities and concentration of children in this age group.

The young subjects were randomly assigned to watch either SpongeBob SquarePants, a calmer cartoon in the Canadian-produced Caillou or draw pictures for the same amount of time.

Immediately after their assignment, they took mental-function tests that measured how well they solved problems, followed rules and remembered what they were told.

The group that watched nine minutes of SpongeBob scored "significantly" worse than the drawing group in all the tests. There was "little" difference in results between the group that coloured and those who watched nine minutes of Caillou, said lead researcher Angeline Lillard, a psychology professor at the university.

"Parents should know that children who have just watched SpongeBob SquarePants, or shows like it, might become compromised in their ability to learn and behave with self-control," Lillard warned, suggesting that parents should reconsider showing fast-paced cartoons before their kids head to school.

To quantify pacing, the researchers logged the number of times the scene changed; in SpongeBob, the setting moved every 11 seconds while in Caillou, based on a four-year-old boy, it was every 34 seconds.

But "even within the (SpongeBob) scene, characters were almost constantly rapidly moving through space," the study noted.

In a classic delay-of-gratification test, researchers placed 10 marshmallows or Goldfish crackers on one plate and two on another with a bell in between both snacks. They told the children that they could wait about five minutes to eat the plate with 10 pieces or ring a bell and eat the two pieces at any time.

The SpongeBob group could only wait about 2 1/2 minutes on average while the others waited for at least four minutes.

The study said that, on average, kids watch more than 90 minutes of TV a day, with those involved in the study watching between 4.5 hours and 6.5 hours a week. None of the children was diagnosed with attention problems.

Lillard said there could be two reasons why fast-paced and "fantastical" shows would have a negative effect on learning. The first is that the fast pace could be disrupting a child's ability to focus, while the second is that young viewers could be identifying with the hyper characters and adopting their characteristics.

Lillard said that four-year-olds are in an important developmental stage of their lives and what they watch on TV could have lasting effects.

She added that SpongeBob shouldn't be singled out because other shows that are similar in pace could cause the same negative effects.

"Young children are beginning to learn how to behave as well as how to learn," Lillard said. "At school, they have to behave properly, they need to sit at a table and eat properly, they need to be respectful, and all of that requires executive functions. If a child has just watched a television show that has handicapped these abilities, we cannot expect the child to behave at their normal level in everyday situations."

In response to the researcher, the show's producer Nickelodeon, owned by Viacom International, told CNN that the study is flawed.

"Having 60 non-diverse kids, who are not part of the show's targeted demo, watch nine minutes of programming is questionable methodology. It could not possibly provide the basis for any valid findings that parents could trust," the company said in a statement.

The statement said the cartoon is designed for six to 11 year olds.

But Mark Sabbagh, a psychology professor and childhood development expert at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., said the effects could be the same on older children.

"There's no reason to think that it wouldn't be (the same)," Sabbagh said.

He said parents are usually vigilant about what their children watch on TV in order to avoid profanity and violence, but he adds results from the study suggests parents also should monitor for other aspects.

"Be thoughtful about what your kids are watching and what your kids are doing after they watch these shows," he said.

Lillard's complete findings are published in the October issue of Pediatrics.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/entertainment/SpongeBob+found+hurt+children+ability+concentrate/5389731/story.html#ixzz1XsEaf1dl