That’s how he’s known in our household.
Unfortunately, as of late, he’s known as the animated sponge that is apparently destroying your child’s brain.
Yes, yes I exaggerate, but surely you have heard of this recent study. If not click here, then come right back. Now you see, the only thing the study has actually shown is that a group of 4 year olds have a harder time focusing, recalling facts from memory, and have decreased attention after watching 9 minutes of a show like SpongeBob vs. a group of 4 year olds who either colored or watched a slower paced cartoon such as Caillou. Not surprising really.
Admittedly, my son has seen this quirky show more than a few times and most recently, he cracks himself up by saying, “we should call you SpongeBob fancy pants” and then he breaks out into hysterical laughter; which are more like cackles really.
It’s pretty hilarious.
However, I also have to admit I’m not crazy about this particular cartoon and others like it. Only because to me, it’s like a complete assault on your senses. I cannot imagine what it does to my 6 year old’s brain.
And yet…he loves it. His laughter is infectious and endearing.
So when I read about this particular study, it more than piqued my interest.
I felt compelled to tweet the obvious: Study finds SpongeBob bad for your brain, Caillou not so much. An oversimplification? Absolutely. But it did spark a lively and enjoyable conversation about children’s cartoons and TV viewing. Which I think ultimately is the point.
As parents we should and need to be monitoring what our children watch just as much as we monitor how much our children watch (which should not total more than 2 hours per day by the way).
The interesting thing about this incredibly small and highly limited study is that parents everywhere immediately felt either vindicated (because they would never allow Sponge bob in their home) or guilty (because they do). I felt a little of both.
In my humble opinion as mom and as a pediatrician who counsels parents about media use, the key points are this: moderation is key, know what your children are watching, monitor and regulate their media use, and use your common sense.
Do what feels right for your family. I think anytime we set our young ones in front of the TV for an “episode” while mommy cooks dinner or takes a call, it pains us with a twinge of guilt. So make it an “episode” that you can feel good about. Whether that’s an occasional SpongeBob, Caillou, Curious George, or Team Umizoomi, you make the call based on your individual family and their needs at that particular time.
Just as not all foods are created equal, neither are children’s TV shows. Some provide better nutritional content so to speak and some, like SpongeBob Fancy Pants are brain candy. Tooth achingly sweet and not meant for everyday consumption.
I asked a couple of other Doctor Moms to weigh in on this issue and I absolutely loved what they had to say.
Dr.Claire McCarthy, who blogs for Children’s Hospital Boston’s pediatric health blog, also admits to having a SpongeBob lover in her household. Her take is most definitely one grounded in common sense, she says this:
It feels a bit silly to vilify a cartoon character, but there could be benefit in it. Those who understand moderation will continue to understand moderation. Those who don’t might at least think about altering the content their kids are exposed to.
And still, she has a soft side for the animated sponge that her son so clearly adores, “I think SpongeBob is an admirable character. He works hard, he doesn’t complain, and he is a loyal friend who genuinely wants to help people.”
Dr. McCarthy blogged about this very topic with fantastic insight from both herself and her colleague, Dr.Michael Rich. Click here to read, The dangers of SpongeBob.
Next on my Doctor Mom radar is Dr.Natasha Burgert, who blogs for Pediatric Associates at KC Kids Doc. I honestly loved her analysis of the whole SpongeBob vs. Caillou hoopla. She clearly is not a fan of this study and for good reason:
With a study so limited, it is difficult for me to find validity in the results. I think this study is a great demonstration that 4-year-old focus and attention can be directly affected by the activity immediately prior to a task. Could similar results also happen just as easily after 9 minutes of rough-housing with dad? What about 9 minutes of time-out?
She further worries that the only thing this study achieved was to fuel yet another fire to the mommy wars:
Most unfortunately, the media attention that this paper has received has fueled the “Mommywars”. Instead of taking this information and applying it in our own homes, “PBS mommies” everywhere are touting their superiority over “Nickelodeon mommies”. While “No-TV mommies” are scoffing at both.
She feels we must put everything into context and that it is more than just quantity or quality…
“Honestly, I would be THRILLED if some of my families gathered around the TV.. mom, dad, big brother, little sister… and watched an episode of Spongebob as a family event. They could laugh together, enjoying each other’s company. Would that Spongebob-exposed 4-year-old do more poorly on the test than a kid staring at Calliou while mom was on the computer, dad was on his phone, and big brother was upstairs doing homework? Maybe. But I sure like the thought of the first family better…. “
Indeed, she is right, this study is such a small piece of the puzzle.
For another detailed analysis and insightful post on this matter, read Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson’s take, pay particular attention to her Mama Doc To Do’s!
Okay, your turn, I really want to know…what do you make of this study? Do you worry about your child’s use of TV and media? What shows do your children watch?
Ask Dr. Mom: SpongeBob SquarePants Cartoon ControversyPOSTED: 9:40 am PDT September 16, 2011UPDATED: 10:30 am PDT September 16, 2011 KCRA’s Teo Torres talks with Dr. Melissa Arca about the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon controversy. Is too much SpongeBob harmful?
I am a married mother of three boys and Sponge Bob has been on the TV in our house for as long as I can remember (boys are now 15, 13 and 10). When I first saw it I was not a fan. Many years back before I even knew what a blog was, I discussed Sponge Bob at home and asked everyone in my house why they liked him. Most importantly I asked my husband. I feel strongly that too many times I see it as only moms who make the decisions about foods, health, potty training etc. and I think many times we need to hear more of the dad’s voice.
So back to my Sponge Bob question. My husband was quick with his answer and the boys agreed. Sponge Bob is a good friend. He also has to interact with an employer and customers.
Also, for years and years now my youngest son who is now in 5th grade, asks me on a biweekly basis what a certain word means–a pretty big vocabulary word–and I used to always ask–“Where did you hear that” and he always responds, “On Sponge Bob” and tells me the scene and how the word was used and then he always remembers that word.
So, with Sponge Bob, like many things I don’t “get” about my boys, it is not always about me.
Great point Michele and thank you so much for sharing. There are a few things I don’t “get” about my 6 yo son either and my husband is often better at understanding those aspects!
I worry about all TV. My kids watch it, and I have guilt about it. It’s just one of those things that I’m not comfortable with, completely.
They don’t watch Spongebob, because they’re still pretty young and are fine with other shows.
I think it’s a tough subject, because some people feel very strongly about it one way or the other. I also think the study is really limited, but I’m not a researcher, so I don’t know too much about optimal study size, etc.
Not long ago, before my kids were in school, I had a definite love/hate relationship with TV. Now that they are in school, we have such little time on the weekdays, that I don’t worry about it so much b/c they don’t watch it a lot. So I do understand where you’re coming from. We just got indoctrinated into the allure of SpongeBob via my 6 year old. And like I said, not a huge fan but certainly don’t think it’s as bad as I previously thought.
I definitely allow my kids to watch Sponge Bob (and many other Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS shows) in moderation. And I’m sure as much as Sponge Bob viewing correlates with short-term attention problems, that Calliou is associated with increased whining in 4 year olds! Based on the hours I’ve spent watching Calliou with my kids (and observing their behavior afterwards), I’m certain there’s a significant correlation there! In all seriousness though, there’s nothing wrong with watching age appropriate television shows in moderation, especially when you watch together as a family. Thanks for sharing your take on this study, great post!
Thank you for your common sense perspective here Polly. I agree that it’s about moderation, about time with family, and about watching how your children are affected. I hear from so many parents that the whining from Caillou can be unbearable. I do think this study needs to be taken with a grain of salt and put into context.
I agree with the premise that moderation and communication are key, no matter what the outside world does or thinks. Wondering, though, about the ethical implications of supporting an organization that claims that SpongeBob was “expressly designed to entertain 6-to-11-year-olds,” then aggressively promotes it to younger children and their parents? http://fwd4.me/0BNv
Mary Rothschild, Director
Healthy Media Choices
Good point though I do think this can be said about a lot of children’s shows out there. Parents really do need to be discerning and critical about what their children watch and not rely on the commercialism that surrounds it. Thank you for offering your perspective here.
While we don’t watch SpongeBob (because I just find it too annoying), we do watch Phineas and Ferb, which I feels has the same fast pace as SpongeBob. Regardless of what we watch, I feel like we watch too much TV. I have to agree with the remarks in your post that this feels like something that adds fuel to the Mommy War fire. We all know that too much TV is not good. The focus should be on moderation and family time.
Well said Katherine. BTW, my son love Phineas and Ferb too
Let me start off my saying we are not a Spongebob viewing house. My teens outgrew the show and I have a toddler who prefers PBS Kids, for now;)
When I hear parents stating they DO NOT allow their parents to view Spongebob I am going to assume these same parents themselves view no eye candy in their adult life and take on only learning topics in movies or night time viewing. After all do not out children learn from example? I as an adult love to learn but need that break to just enjoy a good laugh with no meaning or intention behind it other than laughter being good for the soul. Some enjoy Spongebob and cartoons of the like and others do not. It is a personal preference. But to deny a kid a cartoon they are laughing with, enjoying in the moment only to be taken away due to a parents personal dislike seems to be a bit of control freak to me. To deny all things without learning content involved is a bit extreme and honestly obnoxious. What is one trying to prove to the world by saying, “No my child would never watch that…GASP!” I mean if that is how you truly feel power to you. I believe we live in world today everything is over analyzed, people are hyper-sensitive, over protective, and doing more for their own face value, “Look at my child, they are the best because…….” I think more people need to relax, kick back, lead by example as a parent what you are wanting your children to emulate and let your children be children and laugh with whatever floats “THEIR” boat and let them enjoy being an individual. We are raising human beings not robots;)
oops…I meant to say *Allow their children*
When I heard about this study I thought, “what are they going to come up with next?” Really? Are there not much more important things to study? How about high fructose corn syrup or BPA or (the list goes on). But please, Spongebob? Yes, my kids have watched Spongebob pretty much as long as I can remember. They are fine. Now, I agree it is the best thing for them to be watching but in my opinion there is much worse. Think of the cartoons we used to watch as kids!
Yeah, I do kind of feel sorry for SpongeBob now. Why did he get singled out? And you know? You are right. We watched Tom and Jerry and Loony Tunes. Wow…talk about fast pace and violence! We do need to kind of relax and remember the big picture.
I have to admit that we used to be a SBSP watching household but since the kids are older, he has been M.I.A over here. I feel bad that SB is singled out as harmful because I am sure that if kids are allowed to watch ANY cartoon for hours and hours, it could cause some probs.
I agree with the comment in your post about SB having some admirable qualities and enjoyed hearing my kiddos copying his “I’m ready!, I’m ready!” chant when they started their day.
As for their brains…seems he didn’t do too much damage as they are both honor students.
Yes and I think this is the more important point: don’t let your kids sit around watching TV for hours on end b/c at that point it doesn’t matter what they are watching…it is bad.
This study was clearly limited to immediate effects and did not demonstrate any long term negative effects. And look…you have honor students. I think SpongeBob lovers will be fine
Wow! Fascinating!!! I certainly agree with everything in moderation. But I must say that I also have a soft stop for Sponge Bob.. A nonviolent, optimistic, happy guy. When you think of the HORRIBLE tv out there, this show seems a little mild. Can’t wait to read the articles in detail.
I read the article, and suspect that despite its small sample size, the immediate, short-term effects of SpongeBob are probably real. But he’s so damn funny! Read my take on the research on http://www.evidencebasedmommy.com. (I’m a doctor with three young kids.)
Great blog by the way. Love your angle there. Read your post and really appreciate how you broke it all down. No doubt the immediate short term effects of shows like SpongeBob, but certainly not limited to, are real. Though I do think other activities could probably produce similar results. One thing I know for sure, I don’t let my children watch shows like that before bed or before I expect them to do their homework. So there is value in the study. Just perhaps blown out of proportion in the media.
I didn’t read your links to the original study. I think Spongebob is fine in small doses, provided your kids are old enough. I think the cartoon is a bit much for a 4-year old! My daughter started watching it when she was six and likes some episodes, but doesn’t like others. It depends on what’s happening.
There is a lot of great children’s programming (we’re huge fans of The Magic School Bus), but you have to find what’s right for your child.
My daughter generally gets her screen time in with the computer and/or her Nintendo DSi. She maybe watches one hour of television a week, if that.
Thank you so much for posting this. I always love reading about your opinions on issues. I find that I agree with you on these things! My kids watch Spongebob, and while it’s not the best show, I’d rather they watch that than some of the pre-teen shows that kids seem to love these days!
JDaniel’s best friend loves Sponge Bob. His bedroom is decorated in him. JDaniel tell his friend Nathan, ” My mom doesn’t like him. He isn’t nice to people.”
I really believe in watching everything first. I can’t tell you how many people have recommended Sid the Science Kid to me, but when I previewed it I found the animation to be a bit unsettling and the story line a little boring for my curious 4 year old. I like Super Why because of the focus on vocabulary and reading, and Umizoomi for the focus on math concepts. I think most shows have something to offer. What I dislike about shows like Spongebob and Wow Wow Wubbzy is the assault on the senses. It’s like staring into strobe lights. I have found my four year old to be very unsettled after Wubbzy, so we replaced it with something a little less flashy. Everything in moderation, and KNOW what your kids are watching!