The success of children’s shows like Degrassi: TNG boils down to context and consequences, according to TeenNick SVP Amy Friedman.

‘If kids are talking about it we need to find a way to talk about it on our show,’ added franchise co-creator and executive producer Linda Schuyler, who joined Friedman on Monday for Kids Should See This, an industry panel on the challenges of children’s media put on by the Sprockets film festival, now underway in Toronto.

Friedman sees a need for more role models for young boys and added that branded youth entertainment is one area to watch. ‘Someone is going to get really good at it,’ she noted.

Panelist Charles Falzon of CCI Entertainment added that the key to handling challenging topics like bullying, depression and early dating is to focus on common themes and build meaningful and ‘non-confrontational programming’ around relatable issues.

Kim Gibson, program consultant for the OMDC, and others agreed that the Internet has become a powerful tool in dispensing challenging knowledge to a youth audience. Yet there are gaps, Gibson said, as many adolescents jump from social networking sites like Club Penguin to Facebook with nothing in between to help ease their transition into more mature platforms.

From Kidscreen Online