Nurturing a child is universally important as his younger years are the most crucial part of his learning that can impact his transformation in the future. As the basic foundation of a young mind commences at home, his parents have the utmost responsibility of teaching him good manners and right conduct.
In the modern world that we are living right now, the internet has various educational tools to offer and videos are highly reliable since they can be watched at the comfort of a child’s safety zone- his house. Among the numerous children’s tv shows, one famous sitcom is in the hot seat recently despite being embraced by millions of viewers in various countries.
Astley Baker Davies’ “Peppa Pig”is an English preschool animated show that is widely rumored to cause autism, a mental childhood condition that exhibits difficulty in communication and social interaction. A report recalled that the hit series has been facing the said controversy for years and was highlighted again when a 2012 Harvard University study conducted by an epidemiologist named Marc Wildemberg claimed that a child's chances of having autism increase by 56 percent when he watches "Peppa Pig" for at least half an hour.
However, the report was proven false. The same report cited that a “quick search for the supposed study that links "Peppa Pig" to autism is bogus and that the false claim “could just be a way to decrease the viewership of the popular series geared towards younger audiences.”
It’s noteworthy that the ugly gossip about “Peppa Pig” was cleared but how deep do we understand the sitcom? Can its upsides outmatch its downsides?
A parenting article in Daily Mail discussed the negative effects of the four-time Bafta - winning cartoon from bullying to mockery. Psychologist Hannah Abrahams did a reality check on the show.
'If you find your daughter is emulating negative elements of Peppa Pig then don't put her in front of it. Children that age don't differentiate between fantasy and reality. And of course, it's not only two-year old's who are sucked in by what they see on screen. You see the effect of television on children of all ages. Research has found time and time again that programs displaying aggression or violence encourage that behavior in children - especially when they're at school.”
Other parents also supported the protest of the writer. In fact, many of them have banned their children from watching Peppa and the rest of the squad as they cannot let their children imitate ugly behaviors of being arrogant, impolite and disrespectful.
Despite the drawbacks experienced by parents and their children, “Peppa Pig Sun, Sea and Snow” is described as a “fun” video for kids and the entire family. It features episodes that show entertaining and enjoyable adventures that children can do plus the animals are too adorable as friends.
If you’re flooded with negative news about “Peppa Pig” then you are likely to fall into the trap that it is not a good influence to children. Of course, parents should be very cautious in the teaching materials that they use in raising their children. Tv shows and films are indeed engaging but they should be well analyzed first before exposing to kids.
The good news is that parental authority is domineering. It is how parents guide and explain to their children the story so that they will not be misled. After all, “Peppa Pig” wouldn’t survive all the legalities and quality tests required plus it wouldn’t earn prestigious awards for nothing.
