New Disney Channel aims to teach kids…social values?

For anyone who learned their ABCs and 123s from PBS, the idea of educational television isn't so much a novelty as, well, what moms did when we were growing up, and what they continue to do, as each generation finds it's own Sesame Street. But according to the New York Times, Disney is about to up the ante on what can be taught over the airwaves, offering kids a chance to learn "social values and behaviors."

Wait, really? A television show is going to teach my kid how to behave? Because though I certainly remember long talks between, say, Oscar the Grouch and Maria, I'm not I want my kid learning how to be a good human from a screen.

I realize that sounds both technophobic and naïve, but the truth is, while most kids shows come with a hidden message about sharing or friendship or respect tucked inside, I tend to think of those as one-offs rather an a corporate-wide mission built around informing my little guy's moral compass. And while I'm sure "Doc McStuffins"-about a little girl who takes care of wounded stuffed animals-will have plenty of teachable moments concerning kindness and vulnerability, the truth is, those are the kinds of things I became a parent to pass on myself. I guess when it comes down to it, I'm just unwilling to hand that off to anyone else, much less a corporation that is looking to turn a profit on their "teachings."

But perhaps I'm overreacting or oversimplifying. What to you think?