If you have (or know) kids, you know what I mean.
You hear them in the store whining and pleading to their
parents to purchase the latest stuffed Barney toy.
If asked, a
child might say he/she loves Barney more than his/her parents.
Why? Because Barney never gets mad, nothing bad ever happens to Barney, yet
Dad just got passed over for a promotion and
Mom just lost her job.
Barney sugar-coats and presents a false view of reality.
Singing a
happy song and forgetting the problem is Barney's way of dealing with difficult situations.
Children will not be able to handle them on their own.
The lasting effects of the show might last well into the teenage years.
When they realize that life isn't really what Barney told them it was like,
who knows what will happen?
Barney also becomes a member of the family often times replacing a parent.
On the show, the kids all do what Barney tells them to in perfect conformity without a hint of individual personality.
There is also no clear distinction between reality and what's supposed to be in the kid's imagination.
Only in the theme song is it mentioned that Barney is an imaginary character.
Most of the show has an appearance of being real.
At the "target" age, the kids won't know the difference.
In some of the scenes, it's
pretty obvious because something will appear out of thin air, or Barney will do a super-fast costume change.
Many of the scenes which show children interacting with Barney, and Barney solving the problems with a song aren't so obvious.
Be careful not to underestimate what your
child is taking in.
As young children age, their brains become more developed different areas of the brain develop at different rates.
This means that a
child may understand what he/she's seeing on the screen, but may not be able to communicate it with you.
Now, have you ever watched the show?
Do you just plop your kids in front of the TV and leave them there?
Too many parents just leave their kids watching Barney unattended.
This is bad. This is very bad.
If a parent does this, they have no idea what messages a show is teaching their kids.
Some parents also use Barney as a pacifier.
This is one of the worst things any parent can do to their
child. Just as a small
child becomes dependent on their plastic soother for comfort, they can become dependent on Barney, the biggest pre-
school money making machine of the nineties.
(Remember that the only reason Barney and Friends is aired is to make
money.
It isn't being run by a non-profit group, some
people are getting very rich from Barney)
Have you witnessed first-hand the impressions the show is making on your
child?
I suggest you watch the show and see for yourself what messages are being shown.
