The popular children's show, "Peppa Pig", has been linked to autism according to some reports. This news started when "Peppa Pig" was rumored to have been cancelled because of this reason. There is also a report that claims experts warned that this famous cartoon show is harmful, Morning News USA reported.
The British children's television has gained commercial success in many countries. However, many parents banned this show in their homes because their kids are copying the behavior of the major character, Peppa Pig and her brother George. Some experts find Peppa rude because in one episode, Peppa and George refused to clean their room, thus made their parents made it as a game. After the cleaned their room, Peppa and her brother trashed their room again.
For experts, the major character's behavior is not a good example to children. Researchers from the University of Harvard made a study. The result of their study, which was conducted way back in 2012, shows that watching "Peppa Pig" can cause autism among children. "Children exposed to at least 30 minutes a day of the show have a 56% higher probability of developing autism," said Marc Wildemberg, an epidemiologist who led the study.
Is the claim true?
After this news came out online, Luis Conejo, a software developer and writer, posted his observations on the said "study" performed by Harvard. In his post on Medium, he writes that the study is bogus. Researchers, including Wildemberg, appear to be made-up. Onejo also wrote that a Google search for Wildemberg returns a Facebook and LinkedIn profile, but does not match his profession. Furthermore, another search for autism and Harvard research does not cite anything related to "Peppa Pig".
This is not the first time that "Peppa Pig" has been criticized. Back in 2012, its episode titled "Mister Skinnylegs" received criticism in Australia because the episode promotes befriending spiders. In Australia, spiders are one of the most dangerous animals. Another instance of a character not wearing a seatbelt was also seen in the first two episodes of the show. While the beloved children's show might have to address inappropriate behavior in its characters, its link with autism is not scientifically proven, contrary to what previous reports suggested.
