As the last years of Gen Z begin to graduate high school and their focus moves on to bigger aspects in their adult lives, the childhood they leave behind has slowly become nothing more than a memory for them. As programs such as Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) lose their funding due to President Donald Trump’s decision of removing their funding, the programs that rely on this such as Iowa Public Television are starting to say goodbye to their dedicated audience members.
On May 1, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order pertaining to education and its wide sector of elements. This executive order was to get rid of the PBS and NPR, both of which were established over 50 years ago.
The executive order that Trump signed stated that he was going to get rid of these programs due to them, “receiving millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news,’” stated PBS.
For many Gen Z, PBS was a classic form of entertainment during childhood, providing Saturday morning cartoons and characters they could relate to. Shows such as ‘Sesame Street’, ‘Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood’ and ‘Arthur’ are all shows many teens grew up watching and fanning over. “I think these shows helped me a lot growing up with different school subjects because of how they added educational lessons into different shows’ episodes. Also some of the episodes of these shows would give real life examples about dealing with conflict with your friends or just how to act/respond in different social situations”, says Anna Weinberger.
Not only are Gen Z members saying goodbye to a key aspect of their childhood, the “good days” as many call them have slowly begun to fade into something new. As technology takes over, even less children are getting outside. Children are rather turning their attention and free time towards the media and different forms of technology.
Whether using streaming services to entertain children shows such as ‘Wild Krats’ or ‘Sesame Street’, historically helped young children learn valuable lessons. “Kids shows give perspectives that kids might not see in their daily life. These new perspectives teach kids to be empathetic towards other people”, says Junior Cooper Olderog. From building friends, trying new things outside and embracing the inner child, many parents credit stations such as PBS for helping to teach their children lessons.
Threats to funding soon taking place for networks such as PBS and NPR, leave a gray area for these shows and the possibilities they have to teach children about basic lessons that historically are taught.
