The Child Demographic.

I watched through several videos on TED waiting to find one that would work with my ideals and my business plan. I came across the video Brenda Laurel on Making Games for Girls and while the video is very old it’s astounding how true it even still is. There are still very few games made for girls. The part of this video that resonated the most with me however was not her specifically talking about the game but her talking about other people who reviewed the games when she said “They don’t listen to little girls” I think this today has become a very large problem in many forms of entertainment not just for little girls but for all demographics. The creators of the entertainment assuming they no what the consumer likes, I think this is showing itself the worst in the field I am interested in television programs for children. In watching televisions shows specifically created for children many of them have started to be carbon copies of each other only featuring different characters and settings. The shows themselves are even pulling away from actual story telling and sticking to what I think I could call the “Blues Clues method” when the show mostly consists of the main character speaking to the audience, more specifically asking them question and solely focusing on teaching lessons about counting, spelling and so on. While teaching those lessons is very good and extremely important in this children’s programing I think it is getting to the point where it is too obvious it is becoming the only thing the show is about and at it’s core these shows are supposed to entertain children and there are ways that can be done while also teaching. I think the television programs need to get back to showing a fun, brightly colored story that is merely flavored in teaching as apposed to teaching flavored in half-baked stories. Many shows have done this in the past give a great story with the subtle lessons strung along through them, things can be both educational and interesting, and it does not have to be one or the other. Another thing to stay on the topic of the video is that may television shows for older children now a days are so saturated by gender roles and ideals, it is almost impossible to find a show in the 5-12 age demographic specifically designed or even marketed to both genders to be honest that is something fairly true for all demographics. It is such an easy thing to do to find something that both young girls and boys enjoy; yet no one seems to be doing it. Why is that, I wonder? It’s hard to figure out the exact reason and one that can cause and has quiet often caused a lot of debate. It is also something I hope to change one day, perhaps in the same way Ms. Laurel did, by doing trying to create something new for children of gender by actually asking the children, doing research with the children to hear what they think and see what they want to see, not want I want too see. Creating something they actually want not something we tell them they want.

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