2026/04/07 by Brenna Miller, Elizabeth Dodge, Gloria F. Donnelly +2 · 2 voices
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · Psychology · #Child Development and Digital Technology #Media Influence and Health #Safety Warnings and Signage
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/14703572261418122
openalex publication_date 2026/04/07 · openalex created_date 2026/04/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/19
This article is a review of the public service announcements (PSAs) disseminated with the G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero cartoon series which aired 95 episodes in the 1980s: 35 PSAs were identified and tabulated. The topics addressed ranged from specific health situations to moral guidance. Most of the PSAs ( N = 25, 71.4%) were relevant to childhood safety and reflected the theoretical underpinnings of educational messaging likely to promote the most significant change in children’s health and health communication targeted to children. The G.I. JOE series can serve as an exemplar for the development of contemporary PSAs intended to improve children’s health.