You can't shield kids from scary news—here's what 'Sesame Street' and other children's shows did after 9/11
On back-to-school night in 2005, I eagerly entered my youngest child's first-grade classroom. The walls were festooned with brightly colored responses to the prompt: "Draw something you remember."
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, children were exposed to images and stories that frightened and disturbed them. Psychologist Joanne Cantor's research revealed that children's reactions to news varied based on their developmental stage. Younger children were more likely to be frightened by stories about natural disasters and tragedies involving kids or animals, while older children were more worried about personal injury, violence, and foreign conflicts.
The rise of numerous channels, screens, and platforms broadcasting such content made it difficult for adults to shield children entirely from these distressing events.
One study found that young children often recalled distressing images long after the fact, and violent news images had a cumulative negative impact on their mental and emotional health. An international survey of over 4,000 children from 42 countries discovered that half of them were scared by stories about the COVID-19 pandemic. Common Sense Media's survey of children aged 8 to 18 found that the news frequently left them feeling scared, sad, angry, or depressed.
In response to 9/11, "Sesame Street" producer Lewis Bernstein and his team collaborated with experts to create additional episodes that addressed children's fears. Instead of directly mentioning the attacks, they developed a segment focused on a fire at Hooper's Store, where Elmo was frightened by the loud sirens and the protective gear worn by firefighters.
A kind firefighter named Bill reassured Elmo, dispelling his concerns and offering advice on what children could do if they ever found themselves in a similar situation.
Other children's shows, such as "Arthur" and "Zoom," took similar approaches. "Arthur" aired a two-part episode titled "April 9," which explored how Arthur, Sue Ellen, Binky, and Buster each processed the school fire differently without directly linking it to 9/11. "Zoom" aired specials called "America's Kids Respond" and "America's Kids Remember" shortly after the attacks, where the child cast members shared their thoughts, fears, and feelings, and discussed constructive actions they could take to help affected families.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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