What did you watch as a kid?

It’s hard to remember a time when children’s TV was not dominated by “iCarly,” “Ben 10,” “Wizards of Waverly Place” or the like. It seems as if everything kids watch these days involves the same plot in every episode. However, there was once a time when TV was actually something worth watching.

As babies, we were introduced to shows such as “Teletubbies,” “Barney,” and “Sesame Street.” These shows, though perhaps not the most entertaining, captured our attention and kept us quiet for the length of the show. They taught us good morals such as cleaning up and saying please and thank you.

Junior Samantha Hoffman remembers learning moral lessons from shows like “Hey Arnold” and “Rugrats” that have stuck with her throughout her childhood.

“I learned to stand up for what you believe in, to be independent, and that it’s OK to be different,” said Hoffman.

As the years passed and we started to feel the need to act like “big kids,” these shows were dismissed as “baby-ish” and anyone found watching them would be eternally picked on during recess. The shows with the cool kids’ approvals started to involve more comical stupidity and violence, and less of a moral-driven plot.

For example, “Ed, Edd n Eddy” was one show that was considered “acceptable” by other classmates and friends. It involved three adolescent boys, one of them green, plotting scams and eating enormous jawbreakers. A third grader’s taste in TV shows is unparalleled.

Sophomore Sasan Saadat said that the shows he watched, like “Rollie Pollie Ollie” and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” made him feel good as a kid.

“When I was older and I watched those shows again, I remembered the times when I was a good, innocent little tike,” said Saadat.

As teens, we have turned to shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Modern Family.” “Rugrats” and other childhood shows are mere memories to us, and many children now watch “All Grown Up,” a follow-up that depicts the life of the “Rugrats” characters as teenagers. Former Disney Channel shows such as “That’s So Raven” and “Even Stevens” have lost appeal to many children who have turned to new shows like “Total Drama Island” and “Teen Titans.”

Hoffman felt that these new shows lack the moral value that made the older shows so beloved.

“They don’t teach the same valuable lessons and morals as the older shows,” said Hoffman. “They’re more focused on humor instead.”

Though many past shows have been replaced with more futuristic or temporarily appealing shows, some are indefinite classics that almost every kid, young or old, has enjoyed at some point. For example, “Tom and Jerry” and its classic cat-chase-mouse storyline seems to never get old, even after 70 years of running.

Because the script has hardly any actual dialogue, “Tom and Jerry” is a universal show that captivates any audience of any age from any time period. Seventy years ago, kids had been laughing at the same unfortunate cat and clever mouse that kids now and for years to come will laugh at.

Though TV has changed irreversibly from when we were kids, it still serves its main purpose: to entertain. Whether it be through the teaching of morals, the unexplainable attraction we have to violence and stupidity, or just a good laugh, TV has always provided us with a break from the bustle of daily life. And anyway, who doesn’t love a good episode of ol’ Spongebob every once in a while?