Nick tv's impact on viewers

BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, May 15, 2013-“Nick TV’s Impact on Viewers” (http://eross92.tumblr.com/) – This blog was released today by author Evan Ross. It focuses on Nickelodeon television programs aired in the 1990’s and their effect on the children audience. Once a week, there is a show review that examines what sorts of messages were being consumed by children of the millennial generation. These reviews attempt to determine whether the show was appropriate and acceptable for the susceptible children that watched them. Along with appropriate program content, the ethics of marketing products to children is discussed in an interview with Amy Damico, a  professor who teaches “children’s television” at Endicott College.

In addition to the old-school show reviews, the blog explores current trends of children’s television watching habits and the change of viewing-mediums that have become apparent through technology innovation. As a whole, there is a large variety of posts. Ranging from humorous to educational posts, this blog includes everything relative to 90’s Nickelodeon television and current trends of the industry.

The author, Evan Ross, is heading into his senior year at Endicott College. Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, he studies business management with hopes of graduating in May, 2014. He has played on Endicott’s tennis team for three years and will be a captain next year. Evan is a laid-back guy who never lost sight of his childhood. Through both personal interest and a class assignment, the blog was created with hopes of entertaining and informing readers.

“I do not like the direction that the elementary education system in America is heading towards,” says Lewis Rosenblum, an elementary education major from the University of Delaware. He is passionate about his studies and truly wants to see a change in the way the youth of America is being taught. Lewis sees a problem with the distracting and excessive technology that is being imposed in elementary schools these days. As a strong advocator for technology reduction in the elementary school classroom, he hopes to see change in his field one day, but has his doubts.  

Lewis’s passion to see this change is evident in his interview as he shares his knowledge and personal experiences. Read further to hear Lewis’s perspective on the effects of the digital revolution for kids in elementary school.

  Q: So Lewis, what kind of experiences do you have with elementary school children that gives you a perspective of how they use technology?

A: Well, I am an elementary education program at the University of Delaware heading into my senior year. I spent the Fall semester assisting a fourth grade teacher at a local elementary school, and I learned a lot. It’s pretty shocking when you think back to when I was in elementary school, how much everything has changed and everything. Like, everything. I spent every day with a class of fifth graders and it was extremely educational.

Q: You said there has been a lot of change since your elementary school days; can you describe some of the changes?

A: Ya, definitely. When I was a nine-year-old at Flag Street Elementary in Worcester Massachusetts, we had one computer per class, and the thought of having a cell phone was unheard of. The old macs that we had were very basic with little functions, but it was brand new at the time and crazy-interesting to us kids. Nearly everything was done on a chalkboard and notes were taken on paper. Now that it’s been what, twelve years, technology has taken over. Granted, the elementary school that I worked at was in a pretty rich area. But still! There wasn’t a kid in this fourth grade class without an iPhone. Also, basically every kid had either a computer or tablet which they were allowed to use during classes. They multi-task just like college kids, surfing the internet while their teachers are instructing.

Q: It sounds like you do not approve of the excessive amount of technology that you experienced in the elementary school; do you see any benefits of it?

A: Well ya, but the social experiences and skills that children are missing out on are not worth it. It feels like we are raising a generation of socially awkward boys and girls since there is so much less interaction needed anymore, you know? Anyways, there are definitely SOME benefits to technology. It is becoming the norm for kids to be technology savvy, so without their young education they would probably be lost as they grow older. It just makes no sense to me, like who thought it would be a good idea to put such controlling technology in front of young and susceptible minds.  I just think there are valuable things that kids should be learning before getting lost in technology and the media.

Q: What are you going to do as a teacher to make sure that kids do learn valuable social skills?

1:15 PM on Saturday morning (afternoon): Kyle Kromberg, Junior at Endicott College and television addict struggles to get out of bed while he fights a massive hangover. 

Kyle manages to get out of his bed and onto the living room couch for a typical, lazy Saturday.

Kyle gets frustrated with the too-many-times-seen Saturday programs and resorts to his favorite movie which he owns on DVD: Dumb and Dumber.

Feeling his stomach rumble, Kyle walks over to the fridge only to be disappointed by the lack of snack options (due to his extreme hatred of trips to the grocery store).

In defeat, Kyle grabs his blanket and heads back to the couch.  

  He then falls asleep in front of the television with an empty stomach, watching the movie he’s seen at least 35 times this year. 

  Rob

Colby

Do you notice anything similar between the people in these two photos? Most of you probably jumped to conclusions and assumed I was talking about their stunningly good looks. But really, I’m talking about the Spongebob paraphernalia that these two soon-to-be senior college students are drinking out of. These are two of my good friends living on campus at Endicott College that barely know each other. Completely separate friend circles. I have noticed this year that they both own the EXACT SAME CUP which they use regularly. This may seem like a minor similarity to most, but knowing both Rob and Colby, it is far from a coincidence.  Don’t get me wrong, these guys are two very unique individuals, but there is definitely a strong connection. The Spongebob cups symbolize that connection.

Meet Rob. He’s a political science major who hopes to either run for office someday or be a campaign manager. Either way, he is going to be in the spotlight for the rest of his life. Rob’s profession is not exactly stress-free, so he needs to find ways to deal with the pressures of his work life. Thankfully, he never lost his childish nature which everybody needs a healthy dose of to lighten the mood. Rob’s Spongebob cup represents just that. His perseverance to never lose sight of his childhood and laugh even in times of stress is what makes him a happy person. “I just don’t see a reason to dwell on the little things in life that get people so down, you know? You got to realize that in a year or two from now, your current problem will seem less important than a bee sting you got in the 7th grade.” Rob is a Resident Assistant who clearly has his head on straight, but I’m glad he still knows how to have fun.

Now, I’ll introduce you to Colby. He and I have been business majors together since freshman year, so I have spent a lot of time with him inside and outside the classroom. Almost too much…I’m only kidding of course.  Anyways, he loves to speak his mind whenever he has the opportunity. He is also one of the most open-minded people I know, always looking for a new experience to indulge in. With Colby, stress is never apparent. “When I feel stressed, I just smile and carry on. It’s a simple technique that feels good and rubs off on other people. Nothing is more rewarding than turning someone’s bad day around with an easy gesture.”  Colby goes on to describe what the Spongebob cup means to him: “it reminds me of a time where nothing mattered. There was literally nothing to worry about, and I never want to lose that amazing feeling of freedom. I should probably thank my parents for taking such good care of me…” 

We are living in the information age. That means unlimited accessibility and infinite knowledge is always at our fingertips, just a few clicks away. It creates an entirely new childhood experience for this generation. Instead of being educated on a chalkboard through lectures and textbooks, kids will be learning with interactive touch screen devices. This digital revolution has brought along other changes including the way we watch videos and television programs. Today’s youth is veering away from cable and watching more online videos. There are too many alternatives and people like to keep up with current technology trends. Cable doesn’t stand a chance.

Cable runs on a schedule. It is quickly becoming the “old way” of doing things as other options become more convenient and available. Kids, for example, have limited time to watch television. Most parents limit their kids’ television viewing time to at least one or two hours per day. With full days of school and other activities, this does not leave many options for children viewers. That is why they have using their young tech-savvy minds to think outside the box and watch what they want, when they want.

Services like Netflix and Hulu have been taking away from the viewing of cable. It allows users to choose from a giant library of movies, shows and documentaries without the hassle of fitting a program into your schedule. For kids with a video game console (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or Nintendo WII), it is very easy to access these video-streaming services. Other premium programming that is available on video game consoles includes HBO, Cinemax, Starz, or Showtime. All of these programs have unique television shows as well as a huge range of movies. Parents must be sure to adjust the parental settings because there is definitely inappropriate content that children will come across.

Online videos are growing very popular as well. The function of YouTube is extending far past simple, short video viewing. Users can subscribe to certain channels to watch extended videos or episodes. This alternative is becoming particular popular among children. Sesame Street, something that has been around for over 40 years is now available on YouTube for free viewing. It might not be the real show, but the channel contains hundreds of entertaining and educational shows for its young audience. A variety of YouTube channels are available for kids of all ages and maturity levels. According to a recent article, “Video sharing site (YouTube) could launch a paid content platform for some of it specialist video channels as early as this week.” The online video service that has made its profits solely from advertisements for such a long time will now start making money from its audience.

Nickelodeon, along with almost every other children’s cable network, has episodes and other online videos available on its website. Full episodes of hit shows like iCarly are available as well as short clips and games. These clips and episodes can be added to a playlist to compile a personalized viewing experience. Features like these are attractive to young users while at the same time eliminating the need to fit time into busy schedules. That is what cable requires: a lot of planning.

Anybody who grew up in the 1990’s and watched Nickelodeon is familiar with the terror of AAHH!!! Real Monsters. Created by the makers of Rugrats, this show is completely unique to any other cartoon of its time, or ever. Thanks to the magic of Netflix, I was recently able to rediscover this classic show and shed some light on what the actual plot is about. From a child’s perspective, it is a rather frightening show whose main characters are three young monsters: Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina. The monsters themselves were not necessarily scary, it was all the screaming along with the eerie, underground environment in which they had to go to school. The young protagonists were far from human, but they portray the same maturity level as the elementary school viewers that spent their days watching the show. Now I can see that they are relatable characters who experience the same kind of problems as any ordinary kid would.

The plot revolves around a world where humans and monsters co-exist in the same world. In order to exist, monsters must regularly scare humans. There are monsters of all age, scaring abilities, and rankings, but the show revolves around the adventures of three young monsters with some highly distinguishable human characteristics.

Ickis is a purple creature with enormous ears, feet, and mouth. He feels that he must live up to his father’s legacy who was a very successful scarer in his prime. He often feels insecure because his lack of success scaring humans. Oblina is a black and white striped worm with legs, feminine red lips, and intimidating eyes. Being the top student at school, she makes her two laid-back friends look like complete slackers. She tends to come off as a know-it-all because, well, she is. Ickis and Krumm should be thanking her since she solves most of the gang’s problems, which brings us to the last main character: Krumm. The happy-go-lucky, smelly friend of the group. He is tolerated for his humor and high-spirits. With human feet and hands held high (holding his eyeballs), he has hair growing out of every part of his ball shaped body.

While having a somewhat strange plot, the show does convey a lot of positive messages to the youthful audience. Although each monster is so drastically unique, they are best friends who will do anything for each other. When you look past all of the scary faces and screaming, it is just a show about three young friends who are far from perfect, but willing to do anything for each other. The storyline is remarkably similar to other Nickelodeon shows of its time if you replace the monsters and sewer-school environment to ordinary kids in elementary school.

Would you be upset if the creator of your favorite childhood show was fired for no good reason? In August 2012, Nickelodeon was forced to fire some of its top managers during a time of desperation and low ratings according a New York Times article. Among these managers was the longtime president of animation and head of preschool programming, Brown Johnson. She was responsible for pioneering groundbreaking hits such as “Blues Clues” and “Dora the Explorer. These shows left quite an impact on people like me who were born in the early 1990’s. The shows’ success along with the merchandise that came with it became a cash cow for Nickelodeon and its parent company, Viacom. To hear that the woman who created these memorable shows is now being fired for lack of innovation or creativity does not seem right. Johnson’s work has benefitted Nickelodeon’s preschool segment in so many ways, and now it seems like she is being kicked to the curb for no good reason. She did not deserve to be fired. 

Johnson revolutionized the “pause” technique in preschool television shows. It is a way to make any normal television programs interactive. This technique goes beyond the sing-along music of Barney by stimulating thoughts and problem-solving skills in their brains. Her programs make use of this choreographed pause which allows young viewers to solve puzzling mysteries and dilemmas along with the fictional characters of the show. Children feel much more connected with the story when they are able to get involved in it which is what made her work genius.

Her animation skills and ideas were vital to the company’s success for a long period of time. Making her shows interactive with the pause was very attractive to kids and parents alike. Parents would actually encourage their children to watch those shows because of the educational value. Of course, most parents limit the time that their kids’ can spend in front of the television, but the goal is for Nickelodeon to be the favorite. Johnson helped the network achieve that goal.  

The shows that we watched in preschool will forever stick in our minds, so I have a somewhat bias opinion on the matter, but come on! How could you fire the woman who single-handedly entered Nickelodeon into the preschool television market? The market, which by the way, became the most dominant area for children’s television program. Nickelodeon’s business was simply feeling pressure from Viacom, its parent company. Johnson wasn’t the problem. It was the shift in society’s demand that took away from Nickelodeon’s viewers.

Ahh Arnold. The voice of reason and inexplicably wise fourth grade boy among his buddies in Hey Arnold’s fictional city setting. Anybody who grew up in the 1990’s looked up to him as an emotionally strong and likable character. Unlike Spongebob or Rocket Power, Hey Arnold is a show that focuses on the life of a ten-year old boy in elementary school that lives with his grandparents. His attitude allows him to solve most disputes among his friends and cranky boarders.  

The show consists of Arnold’s adventures and the situations the young protagonist is faced with. Because the audience was generally close to the same age as Arnold, he is a very relatable and often influential character. This is reassuring for parents since Arnold’s character shows unmatched ethical values for a fourth grade kid. He approaches every conflict with consideration to his peer’s feelings and emotions. He is also the best at making logical decisions and conveyed as inexplicably wise. Arnold and his grandparents live in a city which can be threatening, but it acts more like a playground for him and his best friend Gerald to roam around without supervision.

A lot of the show takes place in the local elementary school, P.S. 118. Arnold’s classmates each have a defining role and archetype. There is Rhonda the rich girl, Torvald the ladies-man, Sheena the nerd, Sid the snitch, and so on. As the show progresses, most of his peers get episodes that revolve around them and define the personality of side characters much further. He learns a lot about himself and the world through interactions with his peers.

Arnold’s most recurring problem over the series are conflicts with Helga Pataki, the school bully. She is an insecure person because of her neglecting parents and perfectionist sister. She puts on a mean front on the playground but is secretly obsessed with Arnold. Most of her time spent is writing love poems about Arnold or collecting his chewed gum for her shrine. She refers to him as “football-head” and likes to make fun of him any chance possible. Arnold, being the nice guy he is, lets Helga torment him without a reaction because he can see her true loneliness.

Helga’s behavior is surprisingly common for young girls at that age. It is an awkward time for boys and girls to be liking each other in a sexual way. That is almost what made this show so popular during its time. Even though it is set in a fictional city with cartoon characters, a lot of the characters are portrayed as normal kids with normal issues. It is the associations that kids can make with Arnold, his friends, and family that made the show so incredible.

Arnold’s life was a fantasy world for viewers in the 1990’s. He lives in a room that would be a dream come true for any fourth grader in the real world. Located at the top floor of his grandparent’s apartment, his room contains a sky-blue wallpaper with fully-stocked bookshelves, a television, a fish tank, plants, and other cool appliances against a bright orange rug with yellow shapes. In addition, the roof was a glass, see-through window that he often looked up at from his bed while day dreaming. To top it off, there are a set of steps that lead to the roof where he can go to get away from the stress of his life.

Nickelodeon has finally expanded its business beyond simple television viewing and into the app market place for tablets and smartphones. In a recent article from The New York Times, Amy Chozick discusses Nickelodeon’s future goals of entering the app marketplace for children. The constant advancement of technology has created a demand for constant entertainment to be available at our fingertips. As the world becomes increasingly more reliant on smartphones and tablets, the need for apps is growing exponentially. Apps that serve a function, provide entertainment, update people with information, or connect people through social media. New apps are being created every day to make people’s lives as easy as possible, but sometimes we have to ask ourselves: is certain technology making us lose sight of what is truly important in life?

These apps which are available on smartphones and tablets are becoming standard for children to own at a younger age. The technology is being geared at little kids by marketing educational values, games, and learning enhancement. By teaching kids how to use what is essentially a small computer, the amount of information accessible to them is endless. It is simply too much. If a young kid wants to view footage or photos from the Boston Marathon tragedy, for example, he or she can access that information very easily. These or other images could have traumatizing effects if the audience is too young and immature.

The Nickelodeon app which is aimed at 9 and 10 year olds crosses the line of ethical technology. I will make it clear that I do not blame the Nick for making this release. The company, like any other, needs to make logical decisions to keep its business running and not fall behind in the industry. The fact is that if Nickelodeon didn’t adjust its strategy and never moved away from television, it would have surely gone out of business. The problem lies in society’s need for constant technology growth. It is a viscous circle that pushes companies to develop the newest and up to date products regardless of the well-being of consumers. Competition among corporate giants like Nickelodeon leads to unhealthy creations for mankind.

Nickelodeon is a top-rated children’s cable channel that is home to favorite shows like “Spongebob Squarepants” and “Hey Arnold.” When one of the biggest rivals in the industry, Disney, came out with authenticated apps for tablets and smartphones, Nick had no choice but to combat with its own app. Nickelodeon got a late start to the app market. There are apps for the Disney Channel and Disney Junior that allow users to stream their favorite shows and to participate in interactive “appisodes.” This move was a serious threat to Nickelodeon’s market considering the popularity of tablets and smartphones among children.

According to Nickelodeon’s research, half of total households in the United States own a tablet and 70 percent have a smartphone. With these numbers it would be stupid to not hop on board with an original Nickelodeon app. Nickelodeon conducted research over the past two years asking kids what they prefer to watch on the iPad. It turns out that children want to watch very little actual television on the iPad. They would rather save their favorite shows for the comfort of their living room at home.

Nickelodeon listened to its audience, and created the app accordingly. It is a “noisy, colorful, smorgasbord of animated clips, irreverent music videos and the occasional deluge of the network’s trademark green slime.” It has games, interactive polls, and entertaining slideshows. The bright orange background adds to the highly crowded feeling of the app which demands constant interaction. If you think college students these days know how to multi-task, these kids will be professionals by the time they hit high school. Along with all the other captivating features of the Nick app, users are able to view full-length episodes on tablets. This feature however, comes with a paid subscription. It is otherwise free, making it that much easier for kids to convince parents to download the app for them.

Parents, in fact, have no problem downloading or even purchasing the Nick app for their young ones. It has become the norm for young children to have tablets with the most up-to-date apps and other downloadable technology. Everything in the world is going virtual, even the products we beg of our parents as children. It used to be that kids wanted the newest and coolest toy, but now they feel left out without the hottest app or download. Plus, it keeps kids distracted so parents don’t have to socialize with their kids as much. Awesome, right? No, not really. 

The rise of technology and addicting apps are bringing along with them some vital societal issues. The need for verbal communication is being cut short by digital communication. Children need to learn how to interact with their peers or else they will never gain the appropriate skills to succeed in life. It is unacceptable that tablets and smartphones are promoted for children from the time they can walk. Kids are now spending more time in front of a screen then interacting in a classroom setting with a teacher and peers. Building strong social and communication skills are essential for almost any career path.  

After Nickelodeon’s ratings fell drastically in 2011, the only option for was to take its business in a different direction. Unfortunately for Viacom, Nickelodeon’s parent company, having access to a TV everywhere poses a serious problem. In fact, it poses the same problem for the entire television distribution process: who will want to watch an actual television when paying customers can stream live and on-demand shows on all portable devices? This is where it gets complicated for the television and cable industries. Televisions will never vanish completely. There will always be a demand for a big screen with great quality to watch our favorite movies and shows, but time spent on our hand-held devices has surpassed that of the TV.

Television addiction is far too common among children of this generation. Kids usually get out of elementary school around 2:00 in the afternoon, which leaves the other half of the day wide open. Without organized school sports that generally start in middle school, children end up spending the rest of their days on the couch, in front of a TV. It’s really sad to see this happening because kids need a variety of experiences under their belt to grow up and be both an open-minded and versatile human being. Their minds are being molded by every interaction and activity experienced, and the school days are simply not long enough. Of course, television can be healthy in small doses, but the time spent in front of a screen must be closely monitored. There are plenty of educational shows/cartoons that spread positive values, but there are even more with negative connotations that rub off on the behavior of young, susceptible kids.  

  There is really no one to blame in these circumstances besides the parents or guardians. Kids’ brains are not fully developed until much later in life, so they need guidance. Kids need to see the world and interact with peers in environments outside of school. Complete these five simple steps to transform your youngster from a couch potato into an open-minded, experience-hungry individual.

  A 21-year old television addict

  Lay down the law: First, you need to lay down the law with an authoritative announcement. Gather the family and talk about how the television has been overused to the point where other life activities are being neglected. Be sure to speak with a nice tone letting family members know that it is not a punishment. At the same time, do not be a pushover. Make the children aware that the new “TV reduction plan” may not be a punishment, but there will certainly be repercussions if the plan is not followed. Finally, announce that the reduction plan applies to everyone, including the parents. If you as a parent are serious about this plan, you need to prove it by demonstrating that the sacrifice isn’t that bad. Who knows, maybe you will find a new hobby yourself!

  Develop plan guidelines: Specify the exact guidelines with your children so they don’t cross any lines of the arrangement. Coordinate the amount of time allowed to be spent watching television which can vary on weekends and weekdays. I would suggest one hour for weekdays and two hours on weekends. State any other rules that are within this arrangement. For instance, no watching TV during meals or homework, and no TV after a certain time. The kids will of course be disgruntled by this news, but give them assurance by promoting other activities if they make progress with the TV reduction plan.

  Take TV’s out of bedrooms: Just because a TV is a cheap and affordable product, it doesn’t mean you should make it fully accessible to a child. Bedrooms are a place of peace and rest. Television programs captivate children’s interest by energizing them. That is what makes it so difficult for kids to fall asleep after watching television. Instead of the bedroom, keep TVs in public areas of the house where the amount of usage it gets can be easily monitored.

  Introduce your son/daughter to a new sport: Playing sports from a young age is essential to your child’s growth as a person. Kids need to learn from self-experience, not from being told through the media on TV. Team sports like soccer and baseball are great for kids to learn. There is no better way to learn life-long values like teamwork, competition, and being socially accepted by one’s peers than by playing organized sports. In some cases, children do not excel or enjoy particular team sports. There are also several individual and small-team sports like tennis or golf. It is important to develop particular skills from a young age that will not be acquired if the television is overused. Of course this step is not limited to sports; it includes any activity not offered in the school day: science kits, kids’ books, craft supplies, etc.

Rocket Power was a favorite for anybody born in the early 90’s. It is a cartoon based around a group of young friends: Otto, Reggie, Twister, and the Squid. With their famous “woogidy-woogidy” handshake, this team of youngsters tore up their fictional town of Ocean Shores, California. Each kid played a unique part to the group’s dynamics which showed viewers that it was “cool” to hang out with people unlike yourself. Otto, the most athletic of the group, is an arrogant and self-centered kid who leads the team and often protects his sister Reggie from harassment by the boys. Twister is also very athletic, but he is the goofball of the group always looking for a laugh. He is pretty much Otto’s yes man and lacks any real brains or decision-making abilities. The Squid is the computer geek of the group, but he is a very talented hockey goalie which is essential for the group’s street hockey team.

The show promotes values that are pertinent to the lives of any kid. It depicts life in the summer where kids can live without the stresses of school. There are new challenges for the crew in every episode, but they usually have to do with a sports competition between other kids or themselves. The competitions consist of sports that would be played in the x-games, unlike what most kids are accustomed to. Whether it is skating, surfing, street luge, or hockey, the boys only partake in sports that are extreme or at least dangerous. Since the plot doesn’t touch on the school aspect of the boys’ lives unless they are skipping, girls and relationships plays a very minor role in the show. Although the show is 95 percent about sports, the show often revolves around the characters and their issues.

Rocket Power conveys standards for young boys in regards to having a “cool” and cohesive group of friends like the crew in the show. There is nothing that these four kids couldn’t accomplish together. It is easy to become sports obsessed for young boys watching Otto Rocket’s intense passion for winning. Otto’s superstar characteristics teach boys to be competitive and invest a lot of time into a sport in order to be the very best. The downside of Otto’s character is that his cocky attitude is the behavior that a lot of young viewers adapted.  Although this show had a huge audience of boys, there were definitely some girls that watched it too. Reggie, often overshadowed by her brother, proves herself to be just as talented as Otto. She may not always come in first place, but she gains the respect of the boys time after time through hard-work and perseverance. She is definitely a role model for young girls who may feel athletically inferior to boys.

Twister and the Squid are friends from the neighborhood. Twister acts clownish most of the time, but is still the second best athlete of the group. He can shred up the parks almost as fluently as Otto, just with a little less graceful. The Squid, or Sam, is the nerdy kid of the group. In one episode, he creates a computer game that features Otto, Reggie, and Twister at a skate park. On the hockey court, he is a brick wall. The boys compete in local hockey tournaments with teams of 4 vs. 4, and they would be nothing without their tough, level-headed goalie. Despite his skills in front of the net, he tends to get made fun of the most for his interest in computers and technology. The word “Squid” developed into a commonly used nickname for anybody who is lame or uncool after Sam the Squid.

Who hasn’t watched their favorite Saturday morning cartoon and wished that they could create one of their own? Especially with American culture, we tend to become obsessed with our favorite cartoon shows from a young age and even feel some sort of attachment to certain characters. Idolizing our favorite characters and trying to live a life similar to these fictional beings becomes unavoidable during a person’s youth. With such little life experience, a child’s mind is like a sponge, absorbing all the information and media it takes in. With constant improvements in technology, the way that the world’s youth consumes media is always changing, whether it is for better or worse.

  Now, with a simple program that is being used with kids from kindergarten to 12th grade, kids can do much more than just watch cartoons; they can create their own. “Animation-ish” was created by Peter Reynolds, New York Times best-selling author and illustrator of The Dot, Ish, Someday, and the Judy Moody series. It is used in the classroom to spark creativity amongst kids and teenagers that do not consider themselves to be particularly artistic individuals. Young students can now design animation for movies, greeting cards, websites, presentations and school projects, and share creations online.

  Animation-ish is a game changer for the cartoon industry. While you may not land a job at Nickelodeon Studios, you can enjoy the satisfying feeling of watching your doodles come to life. The youth of today is becoming increasingly more tech-savvy, always craving the need to have a device in hand. Whether it is an Iphone or an Ipad, children love to have a screen to look at and interact with. While there is no current phone or tablet application for Animation-ish, the mobile application market is certainly heading in that direction.  

  The technology hungry generation of today will feel empowered by creating their own original cartoons and animations to show off to their friends. With this kind of software becoming more and more common, it will spark the creativity of so many youngsters with brilliant, original ideas. In the long run, the quality of cartoons should improve vastly with the amplified accessibility and simplicity of personalized animation creation. It might even encourage kids to spend less time in front of the television being influenced by the ideas of others and spend more time creating their own original animations.

  The software creator, Peter Reynolds, wanted to create a program that was inspiring to people who don’t necessarily know how to “think outside the box.” In an interview found on YouTube, Reynolds says that “when someone says I can’t draw, I can’t animate, I get excited because I say, oh yes you can. I thought to myself, I’m going to create a program that will inspire people to say I can, I can draw, I can animate.” With very easy to understand instructions and a simple format, even the most non-creative thinkers can bring their doodles to life and have fun creating animations. He has an inspiring mindset that his program is open to people of all age and ability, and that “your animation doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be perfect-ish.”

  To paint a picture of Peter Reynolds and the kind of guy he is, he shares a life-changing experience from his childhood in his company’s mission statement which could easily have been his inspiration to inspire others throughout his life. In 7th grade, his math teacher pulled him aside for doodling in class instead of paying attention. Rather than punishing him, he assigned young Peter an interesting project. The teacher asked him to tap into his art and storytelling abilities to help other students understand a challenging math concept.

  Finally confronted with a school assignment that was intriguing to Reynolds, he went off to make his first animation. He excitedly opened his math textbook and for the first time looked at the numbers as “quantifying things and actions.” He made these things and actions seem simple as he put together a comic book, which was viewed by his teacher as a storyboard. A few months later, he finished his first animated film designed to teach. He took the experience from that 7th grade class and now does it professionally through stories and films. Reynolds is able to take his gift as an artist and open up possibilities to people who learn better through visual aid. With Animation-ish, he took his vision to a whole new level by giving kids and teenagers the opportunity to make animations of their own.

  Since I fall directly into the category that Reynolds is marketing the program towards, a person with little confidence in my drawing or animation skills, I decided to give the software a try. The program which costs $59.95 to download on a single computer luckily had a 15-day free trial. The home screen has three options for animation creation: Wiggledoodle-ish, FlipBook-ish, and Advanced-ish.

  Wiggledoodle-ish keeps the program extremely simple, providing tools to draw, trace, and animate with just three frames. You can also import and trace any graphic. Obviously with this feature, students are unable to create an extensive plot for their animation, but it is a good place to start. FlipBook-ish contains all the same features, except it includes an infinite amount of frames so users can create longer animations. Finally, Advanced-ish is the most advanced way to use the program. It incorporates the mover tool which allows for more complex animations using foregrounds, backgrounds, and movement across the screen. On each version, there is an “inspire me” button which pulls up a video clip of Reynolds sharing useful tips of how to make animations more creative.

  After an hour and a half of learning through trial and error and being resourceful enough to watch several how-to YouTube videos, I created my own animation, and it felt liberating. Originally, I was just going to check out Widdledoodle-ish, which limits users to a three frame animation. I quickly became addicted and stepped up to FlipBook-ish. Before I knew it, I had a ten frame animation that I was proud of.

  It consists of a stick figure that makes his way across the screen with his dog. The short animation is incredibly simple and unpretentious, yet strangely satisfying. I added a yellow sun, a blue sky, clouds, and chirping birds in the background to add some flavor to the otherwise bland cartoon. I guess the fact that I was creator of the project which any other person would be bored with in seconds made it so appealing to me. I couldn’t help but watch it over and over until I had no choice but to become sick of it. My original intent was to use the program just enough to understand and write about it, but my childish side got the best of me as I got lost in the program.  

  Being the kid in elementary school with absolutely no artistic abilities was not fun, and it limited my level of creativity for the rest of my grade school days. It makes me wonder if my life would have turned out differently if I had a program like this during my childhood years. Calling Animation-ish a life-changing experience may seem like an extreme statement, but creativity is an underestimated characteristic that is necessary for adults in most career paths.

  There is not a doubt in my mind that if I had more time on my hands, I would explore the more advanced features of Animation-ish. For a classroom setting of students K-12, this program is incredible. It is a fun and rewarding experience that gives students the ability to animate with confidence. It’s also a great tool that can be used to spice up a presentation by switching from the classic PowerPoint format that everybody is getting sick of. Kids can now have a fun time in class while at the same time boosting their technology literacy skills. It really is a win-win situation for both students and teachers.

We all have our favorite childhood television show. The shows that kept our eyes glued to the television screen time after time, even when only re-runs were being played. It was a variety of Nickelodeon shows for me. Rocket Power, Hey Arnold, and Spongebob were just some of the shows that my parents couldn’t keep me away from. I looked up to those characters as a child, and I wanted to be like them as much as possible. These show literally controlled my life, and I wanted nothing more than to be shredding down a mountain on a skateboard with Otto Rocket from Rocket Power.

Several years later, I still have a strong appreciation for those television shows as they are a constant reminder of my happy, care-free childhood. Like most other adults, I will always cherish my youth; the days when the only thing to worry about was making it to the bus stop on time. During the seemingly long days of elementary school; kids’ minds were generally focused on which TV shows were playing when they got home, rather than playing outside with friends and getting exercise. As soon as I heard the Spongebob theme song, I would spring to my living room and get comfortable on the couch; ready to be entertained. It is a different set of television shows for every generation, but each of them gives us that warm feeling of carelessness and freedom.

Without actually knowing it, our favorite childhood television shows have a lifelong impact on the way we act and think. With so few life experiences, the mind of a child is like a sponge; absorbing all the information and media it takes in. They are extremely susceptible to new ideas which is a scary thought because although children’s television might seem harmless, sometimes the media represents social issues in a nonchalant manner which makes those issues seem normal and acceptable.

I got the chance to communicate with Endicott College Professor Amy Damico, who has been teaching a course called “Children’s Television” on and off for the past sixteen years. Professor Damico shares her expertise on the topic, exploring her view on the effects of childhood television as well as unethical marketing to children. When I first contacted her about conducting an interview on the topic of children’s television, her excitement was palpable. Her extreme willingness to answer my questions gave me confidence that I would be receiving both informative and interesting responses, and she did not let me down.

She gives her college students a blast from the past by allowing them to watch their favorite childhood television shows and analyze what was going on at the time. She looks at each show to determine how life is depicted and how it is presented differently by family expectations and peer groups that may not apply to everyone watching. The farther into the interview we got, the more I wanted to sign up for this class.

In her mind, there is no such thing as ethical marketing to children. She would rather see the toys and games that appear on Nickelodeon and Disney commercials to be advertised to parents. This is a flaw in the media that needs to change; the problem is that parents do not wish to watch constant advertisements for products like “My Little Pony,” so it seems more natural to place them on children’s channels. Children generally become obsessed with products that they do not need, and it taps into their values at such a young and vulnerable age. Of course, there are some regulations from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), but do these organizations need to step in and enforce more rules to protect children in America?

Damico breaks down the different age groups that are defined for children, which as a whole, consists of 2-12 year olds (the beginning of adolescence.) There are toddlers, preschoolers, tweens and teens. She expresses comfort for advertisements geared towards older tweens and teens, but anything younger than that becomes unethical in her opinion. For me, Barney was the first show that I became obsessed with. I’m curious as to what kind of advertisements that I absorbed while watching the show.

Television is a fairly new concept for society; so humans cannot fully understand the effects of watching it as a kid yet. Some of the major themes in Professor Damico’s class include “the landscape of children’s TV in a convergence culture, a child’s developmental process and how that influences the viewing processing of social media messages, regulation as it relates to children's TV, co-viewing, and social issues such as representations of social aggression, pro social behaviors, educational content, violence, commercialism, and health issues.” The class also looks at the industry as a whole to determine similarities in children’s television networks in the 90’s and now.

Children’s television is changing along with all the other technology in the world. Professor Damico goes into detail about the evolution of children’s media and how the shift to YouTube channels for kids is becoming evident. American kids love technology. Most kids by the age of 8 years old have either an Iphone or an Ipad. YouTube channels for kids make television that much more accessible, which may or may not be a good thing for their development.

Professor Damico’s insight on the world of children’s television is fascinating. So few of us stop to think about the implications and ethicalities of programming and advertising to children even though it is a very important topic. After all, it is the youth of America that is being affected; the future of our country. We should make sure that kids have the best childhood experiences as possible because the way we are raised can determine life-long happiness.