Children_in_the_Media

Children in the Media Andrea Osmon Children in the Media This paper discusses a child portrayed in an animated TV series named Caillou. The characteristics and behaviors of the child are discussed. These characteristics are compared to developmental theoretical perspectives and developmental milestones in relation to age. Caillou is a four year old boy who lives with his nuclear family of mother, father, and younger sister Rosie. This animated series is about his day to day adventures with his family. The Caillou series is a Cookie Jar Inc. production and airs on PBS a public broadcasting network. The particular episode discussed in this paper featured three short stories of Caillou’s experiences. The first was a story of Caillou preparing for a show and tell at his preschool. The second Caillou and his sister Rosie created a magic show. The third story showed Caillou and his sister making a castle from cardboard boxes. All three of the stories were very strongly focused around Caillou’s sense of imagination as well as his interactions with his family. Caillou appeared to be created similar to the average four year old boy. He did not have any significant characteristics that set him apart from his peers. He had a close relationship with his loving and supporting family. His family appeared to have enough financial resources to provide basic needs as well as luxuries. Caillou’s room had many toys and books, as well as the expected amount of furniture. Caillou and his family were also well received by all other people present throughout the show. Rosie, his two year old sister, also had a bedroom which reflected middle to upper socio-economic class. Rosie also displayed average or expected characteristics for a child in her age range. Both of the children seemed well adjusted and their physical appearance was clean and nice. They also both displayed mild gender stereotyping behaviors. The opening scene of the first story Caillou was cutting and pasting with his peers. He was inquisitive and inquired when he was unsure of the meaning of show and tell. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (as cited by Edelman & Mandle, 2010) both of these behaviors are listed as behavioral and developmental milestones for a four year old child. Caillou was also highly imaginative in this story; he imagined his toy dinosaurs being real. Caillou was also enjoying the company of his preschool peers and playing cooperatively with them. These behaviors are described by the AAP (as cited by Edelman & Mandle, 2010) as developmental milestones for a four year old. Caillou also appeared to be in the preoperational stage described by John Piaget (Edelman & Mandle, 2010) because he was able to function symbolically using language. He had an extensive vocabulary and was able to freely express his thoughts and opinions. The target age group for this show is preschool children. The children are all portrayed in a positive, respectful, and curious manner to appeal to this target group. This encourages children watching the show to display behaviors that are not only socially acceptable, but also beneficial to their development. Additionally, the show encourages healthful lifestyle practices in an effort to expose children to health promotion early. In conclusion, the characters portrayed in this series encourage and attempt to facilitate proper development and behaviors in preschool children. While all media exposure should be limited and monitored in children, this educational show could be a part of an enriching environment for preschoolers. References Edelman, C., & Mandle, C. (2010). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier. http://www.thecookiejarcompany.com/press/cj_press_20090923.php