Bad television is still bad television, but television as a medium may not be as bad for our minds as we’ve always suspected. Decades of research make it clear that moderate amounts of television viewing can actually open cognitive doors for children, provided that the program being watched has an educational bent. “A child who watches Sesame Street in preschool will not only be better at recognizing letters and numbers in Grade 1, but will also be more willing to learn. And the change is not short-lived.”