The Sesame Workshop prides itself in offering programs that help children develop cognitive, social and emotional skills – all things that will help children in pre-school and beyond. As seen through Sesame’s addition of characters with disabilities, Sesame also strives to foster acceptance of other human beings, regardless of differences.

So what about Harry Potter? Henry Jenkin’s article outlines some of the most significant examples of Harry Potter’s positive influences on children’s education, such as fan fiction. The sophistication with which Harry Potter is written has also set a precedent for children’s literature that has yet to be reproduced.

Some readers even tout Harry Potter's benefits on their well-being. The Harry Potter website MuggleNet even offers a brief, albeit slightly tongue-in-cheek editorial on the “Mental Health Benefits of Harry Potter.”

Even though Harry Potter and Sesame Street are at the forefront of many minds when asked to think of positive media for children, there are many other options out there that also serve to educate children. Many children who have not caught on to the Harry Potter craze still read other classic children’s literature – the likes of which include Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time, E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, and Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. All three of these children’s novels (and countless others not mentioned here) have one thing in common – they all have a positive message that they are attempting to impose upon readers.

Even though I personally believe in the educational value of books for children (and will never sway on that stance), a BBC Article states that researchers have proven that children can learn just as much, if not more, from video games rather than books. The article, featuring a study commissioned by PlayStation, uses a game called MediEvil 2. Children who played the game, a historically accurate representation of Victorian London, were cited as “easily understanding rapid cutting rates” and having “unique visual perspective.” These same children also appeared to enjoy playing a video game much more than reading a book.

Recent research supports this sentiment as well. An article from the San Francisco Chronicle based upon a federal study notes a sharp decline in reading among teens. Dana Gioia, the chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts, even goes as far to say that “electronic, commercial entertainment media seems to be taking teenagers away from reading.”

Now that I’ve examined media that aids in educating youth, what about the media that destroys this intellectual growth? It’s obvious that this kind of media – the evil stepsister, if you will – is much more prominent in today’s society.

Violent video games, movies, music, and television shows pervade our society. While it can’t be blamed for everything, violence in the media has contributed to several of the United States’ worst tragedies – Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the instigators of the Columbine massacre and Cho Seung-Hui, the lone gunman in the Virginia Tech shooting – immediately come to mind. All three played violent video games, read violent literature and watched violent television. If those examples alone aren’t enough to prove the disparaging effects of media violence on today’s youth, I don’t know what is.

Essentially, the message is clear - media is an extremely valuable tool in the right hands. Once children learn how to use and evaluate media effectively, they can protect themselves from that which is negative and learn to allow the positive in.

¶ posted by L.O. Ratliff at 10:42 PM •