Today’s newsletter will include the following:

• 💡 What’s the Difference Between High Stimulation and Low Stimulation Television?

• 🔬 Literature Review: Brief Exposure to Fast-Paced Film Immediately Lowers Attention Span in Children

• 📰 News: A New Show Featuring Neurodiverse Characters, and One Third of Toddlers Diagnosed with ASD Don’t Meet Criteria by Age 7

• 🌟 Creator Highlight: The Effects of Low-Stimulating TV from a Parent

• ✂️ A Fun Winter Craft ❄️ 

• 🎓️ Resources to Learn More (and get those sweet CEUs!)

• 😆 Read Till the End for the Monthly Meme!

💡 The Learning Zone: What’s the Difference Between High Stimulation and Low Stimulation Television?

A high stimulation television show is one that features:

• Frequent Camera Cuts (typically 5 seconds or less)

• Dancing Objects

• Vibrant Colors

• High Frequency of Background Movement

• High Frequency of Background Noises

• Lack of Structured Verbal Communication

Why is this bad?

The fast paced, high color, unrealistic content found in these types of shows has been proven to lead to addiction and withdrawal, hyperactivity, emotional dysregulation, and low attention span.

Popular Examples:

• Cocomelon

• Masha and the Bear

• Bebefinn

• Blippi

• Vlad and Niki (on Youtube)

A low stimulation television show is one that features:

• Slow Paced Camera Cuts (typically more than 5 seconds)

• Rich Vocabulary

• Natural Color Tones

• Stationary Backgrounds

• Soft Sound Effects and Calming Background Music

• Structured Verbal Communication Using Normal Voices

Why is this good?

The slow paced, muted color, realistic content found in these types of shows can help foster the learning of appropriate social interactions, increased emotional regulation, and problem solving skills.

Popular Examples:

• Trash Truck

• Bluey

• Oswald

• Franklin

• Little Bear

 🔬 Literature Review:

Unfortunately, I was not able to find any articles related to this topic under creative commons licensing that would allow me to freely distribute the article. I have contacted the author of the following article an attempt to be permitted to share a full PDF within this newsletter.

In the linked article, “Differential effects on film in preschool children’s behaviour dependent on editing pace”, researchers conducted a study where “children were paired up and tested with either a fast- or slow-paced film of a narrator reading a children’s story. The fast-paced version had 102 camera cuts and 16 still images, and the slow paced version had 22 camera cuts and four still images.” (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017).

The results of this study found that the children's behavior was similar before watching the films, however after watching the films, the children in the fast-paced group shifted their attention more frequently between toys than those in the slow-paced group. This study supports the claim that “a brief exposure to differently paced films had an immediate effect on how the children interacted with their toys.” (Kostyrka-Allchorne et al., 2017). Specifically in regard to lowering their attention span.

📰 In the News:

🌟 Creator Highlight: Raising A Little One, A Great Low Stimulation Television Resource

Check out this TikTok by Laura from Raising A Little One @raisingalittle1 about the effects of switching to low-stimulating TV shows. This account frequently posts new low-stimulating shows for your learners to enjoy.

This creator also has low-stimulating toddler TV show flashcards available on Etsy, linked below!

@raisingalittle1

Something I wish I would have known about sooner as a new mom 🫶🏻 #lowstimulatingshows #nonstimulatingshows #kidstvshows #overstimulation #... See more

✂️ Craft Corner: Indoor Snow for Winter!

🎓️ Learn More:

🤣 Monthly Meme: