New research shows the lasting impact of “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” on teens who watched as preschoolers

Photo above courtesy of Fred Rogers Productions via Grand Communications.

Many parents try hard to teach positive messages to their young kids and make an effort to offer books and TV programming that reinforce those positive messages. But as kids grow older, we may wonder: Do those messages stay with our kids into their teenage years?

For families whose kids watch “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” the Emmy-winning animated series inspired by “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” new data offers encouraging news: Last week, a new study released by the UCLA Center for Scholars & Storytellers showed that the life lessons and strategies that children learned by watching “Daniel Tiger” had a positive influence years later, providing tools for identifying and managing emotions during their teenage years.

The study, commissioned by Fred Rogers Productions, suggests that high-quality children’s television can have a positive and lasting impact on a child’s life.

Among the study’s findings:

• Teens said they remember “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” as a show that taught them social-emotional and life skills. These kinds of skills consistently predict children’s success in school and community.
• They recalled using strategies such as deep breathing when they were upset, with 21% mentioning that they still use the calming techniques they learned from the show.
• The show’s strategy songs made a lasting impression. Teens could still use the helpful messages years later (and still sing the songs!).
• Teens remember the show fondly for inspiring feelings of comfort, companionship and happiness when they were young.

The teens who were surveyed also said they want to see storylines around topics such as bullying, kindness and friendship. More than 75% of the teens said they would watch shows about these topics. And yet only 35.3% said they were currently watching anything that taught them life skills or social-emotional skills.

You can explore the full study right here.

For nearly 12 years, “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” has been helping preschoolers navigate their feelings and make sense of the world around them. This new research shows that the series’ life lessons are still having an impact, even as kids in “the neighborhood” have grown up.

For a behind-the-scenes peek at the world of “Daniel Tiger,” don’t miss our Kidsburgh Podcast interview with series producer Chris Loggins. Listen right here.