Social Change Through Television

Children, I think, are more susceptible to being convinced by campaigns because they do not realize they are being manipulated. Edutainment, as it is known, works especially well, or at least it did on me when I was younger. Sesame Street is a perfect example of this. The way they seamlessly integrate social messages into the jokes and dramatic tension of the show makes it very easy for children to learn without even realizing it. Also, Sesame Street has been around for decades and is a respected program. Therefore, the producers of the show do not have to worry about people having problems with their agenda and denying their entitlement. Also, it usually airs on public television (PBS, et cetera) so they do not have to worry about making “the network” angry.

Sesame Street incorporates a lot of music into their informational messages. This makes it easier for the message to stay in a child’s head, because they are thinking about the song. For me, one particularly effective iteration of this was a song about water conservation. The song, which has a slight country influence and memorable melody, aired often on Sesame Street. One verse in the song has stuck with me all these years:

Without it think how hot and dry and thirsty you would be / you’d never see a flower and you’d never see a tree / there’d be no ducks or fish or cows, there’d be no you or me / without water.

The images of plants and animals and children all enjoying the benefits of water, combined with that dire proclamation that it might some day all be gone if we’re not careful, was enough to make me keep listening to the song, hoping for a solution. The song went on to extol the values of not leaving the water running when you were brushing your teeth, and of telling your parents when there’s a leaky faucet.

The tune was catchy enough that for awhile I could sing the entirety of the lyrics to myself whenever I was in the bathroom or doing anything else that required water. I almost immediately became more conservative in my water usage, which has continued to this day.

I think, though, that while attentive children can find a lot of value in this song, there are many kids who would not actually listen to the words. Also, Sesame Street was designed as a show that parents and kids could watch together, with elements that are interesting and entertaining to both age groups. Many adults would not be affected by the song, and as Rice and Atkin in their book Public Information Campaigns say, parents might “regard [the message] as offensive, disturbing, boring, stale, preachy, confusing, irritating, misleading, irrelevant, uninformative, useless, unbelievable, or unmotivating,” and might even say to their child not to worry about water conservation (51).

However, I believe that overall, this song has worked well on the target audience, and has probably effected many children who have now grown into sustainable individuals.