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Children who know how to get to Sesame Street can learn about more than numbers, letters and colors.

In recent research published by Health Communication, Angeline Sangalang, health communication expert and assistant professor of communication, shows how educational entertainment is being used to teach viewers about COVID-19.

Through this communication strategy, educational content is incorporated into entertainment media — essentially educating viewers without their active realization. For example, we may gain positive attitudes toward organ donations from an episode of Grey's Anatomy, and children may learn the importance of hand-washing from an episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.

"We process a lot through stories," Sangalang explained. "And we learn a lot through watching TV, especially shows that we all get around and talk about."

For this study, Sangalang and colleagues reviewed programming by three global organizations — PCI Media, BBC Media Action and Sesame Workshop — to analyze how it was adapted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As one example, Plaza Sésamo, Latin America's equivalent of Sesame Street, depicted Cookie Monster learning to cook at home since it was unsafe to attend culinary school in person.

Relevant storylines like this one can help enhance an audience's knowledge about a health issue, encourage them to engage in prevention behaviors and hold positive attitudes about the situation.

"You want to educate kids on the risk of the pandemic, but you have to remember that a pandemic is scary,” said Sangalang. “It's important to frame why it’s important to wash their hands and why they can't play with their friends in a way that won’t cause irrational fear. Using characters that kids know, love, trust and are familiar with is a way to provide comfort during uncertainty."

The results of this study provide insight into how educational entertainment can be used during future health emergencies.

"By utilizing existing infrastructure, tailoring programs to fit the local context and focusing on good storytelling, entertainment-education can be an efficient communication solution to support public health," explained Sangalang.