With all the focus on social media lately, television sometimes gets lost in all the noise. But it is important to note that TV still plays a major role in the impact it has on the youth of today.
One of the best ways TV helps is through education and aiding in creating a positive self-image for our young girls.
media update's Saads Abrahams spoke to Mari Payne on the important role that television shows play in educating our future women.
In your opinion, how important is the role that television shows play in educating young girls?
Before any creative ideas make it onto screens, we
do thorough research to learn about our audiences so we can
develop and refine content for appeal and relevance. We then consider whether our content will have the impact we want it to have and
understand under what conditions it demonstrates impact.
Television shows, such as
Takalani Sesame, are a good way to educate young girls and overcome gender-stereotypical behaviour — such as what subjects and careers girls can choose to pursue, or what games or sports girls can participate in.
How should television shows be contributing to the shaping of young girls' educational experiences?
Girls should be
encouraged to pursue subjects and careers that interest them. If they want to follow a career in mathematics, science and technology — which are mostly associated with boys — they should be encouraged to do so.
Television is a
good way to reinforce these messages to millions of young viewers in an age-appropriate way.
How does the representation of diverse female characters in TV shows impact the self-esteem and aspirations of young girls?
We know that
young children learn best when they can
see themselves on screen, meaning they can see children on screen who look like and talk like them. Therefore, it is important to show a
diverse cast of characters in a television show.
These different approaches
open the door for young female viewers to see themselves as well as others on screen, giving them the
opportunity to build self-confidence, self-esteem and aspirational goals.
Do educational children's programmes foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills among young girls? How?
Young children learn through play. [For example] at
Takalani Sesame, all our content is produced using learning through play. In recent seasons, we had a specific educational focus on playful problem-solving, creativity and task persistence.
To know whether our content fosters these skills, we
run formative testing while we are in the pre-production process of writing scripts. [This is] to know whether children are learning what we want them to learn.
So yes, it is possible if your content is created with this specific educational outcome in mind and tested accordingly.
Can you discuss the potential drawbacks or negative influences that certain TV shows might have on the education of young girls?
If a television show
reinforces certain gender stereotypes that are contradictory to enhancing and advocating for a young girl's right to education, it could have a negative influence.
What strategies can parents and educators use to help young girls navigate and interpret the messages presented in television shows more effectively?
It is
important for parents to know what their children are watching, especially very young children.
Children's programmes would normally not need a discussion as the content is created in such a way that a child can watch and understand the messages on their own. However, if need be, the parent / caregiver can help understand the message or reinforce the overall message of the show or episode.
How can the collaboration between television producers and educators enhance the educational value of TV shows targeted at young girls?
Takalani Sesame, for example, has three key components to producing the television show:
- Production
- Education, and
- Research.
These go hand in hand in developing, writing and producing the show.
There is
entertainment for young children, which has
little to no educational value, and then there is
edutainment, which is a combination of education and entertainment.
Producing content using this combination of expertise ensures the educational value that is targeted at young children and also young girls.
via GIPHY
How do you think TV can create a positive impact on our youth? Let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Canva