Square eyes? BBC says screens can help children learn

BBC Creative is dispelling negative perceptions surrounding screen use in children with a 60-second creative designed to emphasise its potential as a powerful educational tool.

Produced by the BBC’s in-house creative team, the stop-motion film tackles judgement surrounding screen use, subverting the traditional saying, ‘you’ll get square eyes’ by showing that, when used responsibly, screens can have a positive impact.

Showcased across multiple channels including out-of-home (OOH) and social, the campaign is also supported through editorial content on the BBC.

Directed by Sam Gainsborough at Blinkink, ‘The Square Eye Boy’, features a boy who is judged by people because his eyes have turned square through excessive screen watching.

Yet, as the voiceover explains, “it’s not always pointless watching”, adding that screens can be “brain-building… getting them off the sofa and seeing the bigger picture”.

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Handing the young protagonist a tablet with BBC’s Bitesize – the broadcaster’s free education platform for children – the film then refers to educational shows such as Planet Earth documentary series, Strictly Come Dancing and sports coverage.

The puppetry stop motion animation concludes with a final message, “Screens, it’s what’s on them that counts”, reminding parents that screens can actually make children more rounded.

The creative forms part of a larger multichannel campaign that spans OOH and social, and aims to add nuance to the screen debate through guiding parents on how to responsibly use screens in their children’s education.

In April, stars including Claudia Winkleman, Konnie Huq and Gabby Logan launched BBC Children’s and Education’s campaign, with the message reading; “However, isn’t it time to shift the chat from ‘screens are bad’ to ‘it’s what’s on them that counts?”

BBC Children’s and Education director, Patricia Hidalgo, commented: “We are proud to highlight, through this campaign, our support to all families across the UK by delivering bold, multi-genre and age appropriate content that enriches children’s abilities to connect with others, express their ideas and develop essential communication skills – while keeping them entertained!”