Report SpongeBob in hot water from study of 4-year-olds

[The Helper]

The cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is in hot water from a study suggesting that watching just nine minutes of that program can cause short-term attention and learning problems in 4-year-olds.

The problems were seen in a study of 60 children randomly assigned to either watch "SpongeBob," or the slower-paced PBS cartoon "Caillou" or assigned to draw pictures. Immediately after these nine-minute assignments, the kids took mental function tests; those who had watched "SpongeBob" did measurably worse than the others.

Previous research has linked TV-watching with long-term attention problems in children, but the new study suggests more immediate problems can occur after very little exposure - results that parents of young kids should be alert to, the study authors said.

Kids' cartoon shows typically feature about 22 minutes of action, so watching a full program "could be more detrimental," the researchers speculated, But they said more evidence is needed to confirm that.

SpongeBob in hot water for effect on kids

NEW YORK - Children who watch fast-paced cartoons such as SpongeBob SquarePants perform worse when asked to follow rules or delay gratification than kids who spend time drawing or watching slower, ed…

www.dispatch.com

 

[Monsterous]

I guess those kids wont be ready.

 

[Hatebreeder]

It's the kids that have attention problems.

Spongebob is too awesome and funny for it to cause ADHS.

 

[Varine]

It's the kids that have attention problems.

Spongebob is too awesome and funny for it to cause ADHS.

Maybe instead of saying that everyone that doesn't fit into their psychological niche has a problem they could do research into why it is many of those problem kids do noticeably better in various subjects, and it seems to me that their results have a very minimal difference. Last time I went to a psychologist, I was diagnosed as 100% likely to have schizophrenia (I assure you I do not), so I may be somewhat biased to disagree with anything they say, however it seems to me the tests are usually extremely stupid. And WTF is this Caillou show? What happened to the good old shows like Doug and Angry Beavers?

On a side note, did the kids who watched Rocko's Modern Life do any better?

 

[NoobImbaPro]

I've watched from 4 years old cartoons, almost the whole program (3 hours) without any consequences.
And I am sure almost all of us don't have these kind of problems.

 

[tom_mai78101]

However, the study did point out how my little brother wasn't able to calm down and have learning issues. He's been watching a lot of Spongebob Squarepants.

 

[shinami]

That show is pretty entertaining, but it is pretty damn goofy. When I was a kid I watched Cartoon Network: Samurai Jack, Courage, Edd'Ed'n'Eddy and all that classic stuff.. Also there was this show Time Squad that actually thought me a good bunch of basic history, at least for a kid.

 

[tom_mai78101]

Don't forget Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons, The Flintstones, some Boomerang classics, Pink Panther, Toonami, Pokemon the first and second seasons, etc.

 

[The Helper]

One time I blew pepper into my friends eyes as a goof because I had seen it on those old school cartoons. Did not make him sneeze though. More like hit the ground crying and screaming for like 10 or 15 minutes. He had contacts in and it got all in his eyes and it was horrible. The funny thing though I was like 23 years old when I did it

 

[shinami]

Don't forget Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons, The Flintstones, some Boomerang classics, Pink Panther, Toonami, Pokemon the first and second seasons, etc.

There's just too much awesomness from the old Cartoon Network, I can't mention it all.

Except Pokemon. Even when I was 4 I thought that was hell'a dumb.

 

[thewrongvine]

Except Pokemon. Even when I was 4 I thought that was hell'a dumb.

Your life may very well end soon because of what you have uttered.

 

[FireCat]

Breaking News: It's Just cartoon!

 

[camelCase]

Breaking News: I loved cartoon.

 

[Varine]

When I was a kid I snorted pepper for some reason all the time... can I attribute this to cartoons?

 

[The Helper]

link updated, might have been broken for a while