Q&A: Is educational TV actually "educational"?

Hi! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist and professor at Brown University, co-founder of Tech Without Stress, and mom of two young kids.

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What’s the deal with “educational” TV shows? So many shows claim to be educational - and it definitely seems like a good thing when I overhear my kid saying letter sounds or something - but I’m skeptical. Is my kid actually learning anything from these shows? Or is the “educational” label just a marketing ploy for anxious/achievement-focused parents? 

I, too, have wondered whether my toddler is actually learning anything when he yells things like “the turtle is in the box!” or “A! A! The letter A!” at the screen.

The good news is that we have research on this!

“Educational” TV refers to content that teaches skills, ranging from literacy to prosocial behavior (i.e., sharing, kindness), and it’s been a mainstay since Sesame Street premiered in 1969.¹ Because of this, we’ve had some time to learn about what makes for a good educational show, and whether kids can actually learn from them. 

Let’s start with the short answer: Kids can learn from TV, but it depends on their age and the specifics of the show. In most cases, they’ll learn more from in-person experiences, so TV could never (and should never) replace these experiences, but it can supplement them.

And now the longer answer (this is Techno Sapiens! Of course there’s a longer answer!)