Study Shows Some Cartoons Have Adverse Affect on Kids
Not Your Parents’ Scooby Doo
By George Drinka, MD
In a flurry of articles published in the LA Times, USAToday, Deseret News, and elsewhere, journalists report a surprising finding as described in a recent article in the scholarly journal Pediatrics.
Certain popular cartoons, like “Bugs Bunny,” “Sponge Bob,” and “Scooby Doo,” seem to have a negative effect on children age 3 to 5. The same study describes a positive effect of other shows like “Dora the Explorer,” “Curious George,” and “Sesame Street.” Though the first group of shows is not actually named in the scholarly article, the lead researcher gets specific in a follow-up interview published in the Huffington Post.
