The Influence of Cartoons on Children - Essay Example

Cartoons and its Effect on Children From the time the television became a permanent fixture in the modern home, animated shows for children have become a staple of station programming. The affinity of children for this genre became immediately apparent, the most apparent of which was the preference of children to stay at home glued to the TV set rather than go out or engage in sports. Since the seventies, there had been numerous studies to determine the effect of television on children. This brief essay discusses the effects of cartoons on children since the 1990s. Essentially, the cartoons that gained popularity in the 1990s deviated from the traditional. Together with the conventional kids’ cartoons such as Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and the still popular Spongebob Squarepants, the nineties ushered such satirical animated programmes as the Simpsons, King of the Hill, Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast, and the highly irreverend Beavis and Butt-head and South Park. Clearly, the latter group contained more of adult content and are not meant for children, but lack of parental vigilance (and the misleading format of the shows) has enabled many children to watch them with regularity. More recently, the cartoons that had become popular were those that departed from humor. The term “cartoons” traditionally implies comedy and humor; however, cartoons portray violence in a comedic context, such as those elements in Samurai Jack, X-Men Evolution, and Batman: The Animated Series, which portray “dark” situations. At times, violence is portrayed without the comedy and make use of characters who look realistic (as against the fantastic), a form of cartoons R.B. Haynes (1978) calls “authentic” because of its closeness to reality. Effects of cartoons on children Because of its implications on children’s future behaviour, violence became a major interest in the study of the effects animated programs. In the 1990s, cartoons portrayed violence in the form of minor acts; for instance, rarely is death depicted, and never is rape portrayed. Cartoons also “sanitized” the outcomes of violence, by symbolically depicting or merely implying pain or suffering without tangibly showing it. (Potter & Warren, 1998 in Kirsh, 2006, p. 161). The principal concern of researchers is that comedy in cartoons may potentially trivialize or camouflage the underlying violence in cartoons (Kirsh, 2006). However, it is possible for children’s reactions to the same cartoons, or any stimuli for that matter, to be different, depending upon their interests and personality (Smith, Cowie & Blades, 2003). It was suggested that cartoons may be harmful particularly for little children, because the have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy (Peters & Blumberg, 2002). The present computer generated, 3D animated shows are particularly convincing because, where the character design significantly departs from the fantastic and imitates reality, the audience (particularly very young children) are drawn to the center of the story, and for the duration of the presentation there is a suspension of disbelief. As mentioned, cartoon violence has been the topic of much research, with the notion that children tend to imitate the violence they witness in cartoons. Some investigations, however, tended to suggest that in the case of preschoolers, the effects are not as severe as had been speculated. Very young children have very limited comprehension of the content of television programs, but their moral reasoning is at a rather developed stage – described as “sophisticated” (Peters & Blumberg, 2002:143). Another adverse effect of animation is the extraordinarily close affinity of children with certain psychiatric disorders to televised cartoon shows. Particularly significant is the effect of animation on children clinically diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In a study of 24 boys eight-to-twelve years of age, it was determined that 59 percent of the group preferred cartoons, significantly one-third more than the control group. The study found that “increased television and a preference for cartoons was associated with symptoms of challenging behaviour” (Community Care, 2003). Children with ADHD therefore are more likely to develop abnormal patterns of media use that may adversely affect their social learning and correspondingly their response to treatment. Not all the effects of cartoons on children are negative, however. Through four decades, the Saturday morning cartoon programming has acted as digital baby-sitter and entertainer for children of all ages. More than this, however, these programs have also acted as teachers, providing for its young viewers an enjoyable form of lesson assimilation. In the seventies to the middle of the eighties, Schoolhouse Rock has provided exposure to English grammar, American history, civics, mathematics, and science (Engstrom, 1995). Today, cartoons such as Jimmy Neutron continue to entertain with science lessons embedded in the episodes. Even the seemingly boorish Homer Simpson in the animated series that bears his name becomes a teacher for the older children by daring to squarely deal on issues concerning religion (“Homer the Heretic”), science (although not always accurate, at least introduces the concepts, according to Paul Halpern, physics professor at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia), literature (when Homer performed Macbeth), psychology (when Lisa showed a hamster to be smarter than Bart, according to psychology professor Denis M. Mcarthy of the University of Missouri), and many others. The fact that these may be cloaked in humour further enhances the lessons’ assimilation (Quill, 2007). Many children also find inspiration in cartoons. Imaginations are sparked by the likes of Jimmy Neutron and Dexter’s Laboratory, which, while not entirely accurate, provide a mental image to children of how they would regard science when they reach the classroom (Mone, 2005). The power to inspire may also be attributed to the “hero animation” which are an offshoot of the comic characters. This genre influences children so profoundly to the point that their they imbibe ideals of virtue and heroism that sometimes sustains them until their adulthood (Robertson, 2004). Cartoons of the Future The remarkable number of studies conducted on animated programmes, as well as computer games and other activities, are well founded. At present preschoolers watch an average of 30 hours of television a week, and four year-olds watch some 50-70 minutes per day of predominantly animated programs (Peters & Blumberg, 2002). Definitely, program producers and media companies are showing a greater conscientiousness in their programming and advisory of its audience’s parents. The development of cable television is particularly helpful, because different types of programming may be specialised so that children’s shows may be exclusively shown without the interference of adult programming. The cartoons of the future will definitely become more technically realistic, but also more artistic and attractive to children and adults alike. Depending upon the content, there is a great potential to educate and inspire, as well as a high possibility of distraction and corruption of young children’s minds. If the recent 3D animated cartoons such as Disney’s Toy Story series and other productions by Dreamworks, there are high hopes that children’s animated programs will provide more benefit than harm, as long as parents remain vigilant in guiding their children’s viewing choices. Bibliography Engstrom, Erika. “Cartoons as Education,” Journal of Popular Film & Television, Fall 1995, 23(3) Haynes, R.B. “Children’s Perceptions of Comic and Authentic Cartoon Violence,” Journal of Broadcasting, 1978, 22(1): 63-70 Kirsh, Steven J. Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2006 Mone, Gregory. “Cartoons that Animate.” Popular Science, April 2005, 266(4):42-44 Quill, Elizabeth. “The Cerebral ‘Simpsons’.” Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 Sept 2007, 54(3). Robertson, Barbara. “Hero Animation.” Computer Graphics World., November 2004, pp. 18-20 “Screen captivates disorder children.” Community Care. 03075508, 18 Sept 2003, Issue 1490 Smith, Peter K.; Helen Cowie, & Mark Blades. Understanding Children’s Development, 4th edition. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2003 Read More