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Effects of Cartoons on Children
By: C.J. ChomaStevie Hossler
Robert LeuDivia NelsonShawnte RayBen Wilcox
Brandon Ybarra
TCOM 103Dr. Louisa Ha
November 15, 2004
Introduction: Effects of Cartoons on Children
Children have become much more interested
in cartoons over many years and it has become a
primary action to some lives. Typically, children
begin watching cartoons on television at an early age
of six months, and by the age two or three children
become enthusiastic viewers. This has become a
problem because too many children are watching too
much television and the shows that they are watching
(even if they are cartoons) have become violent and
addictive. The marketing of cartoons has become
overpowering in the United States and so has the subliminal messaging. The
marketing is targeted toward the children to cause them to want to view the cartoons
on a regular basis, but the subliminal messaging is for the adults’ to target them into
enjoying the “cartoons”. This is unfortunate because children watch the cartoons on
the television and they see material that is not appropriate for their age group. The
Children who watch too much cartoons on television are more likely to have mental
and emotional problems, along with brain and eye injuries and unexpectedly the risk
of a physical problem increases.
Mental and Psychological Effects of Children’s Cartoons
By: Stevie Hossler
Children have become much more interested in cartoons over many years
and it has become a primary action to some lives. Typically, children begin
watching cartoons on television at an early age of six months, and by the age
two or three children become enthusiastic viewers. This has become a problem
because too many children are watching too much television and the shows that
they are watching (even if they are cartoons) have become violent and
addictive. The marketing of cartoons has become overpowering in the United
States and so has the subliminal messaging. The marketing is targeted toward
the children to cause them to want to view the cartoons on a regular basis,
but the subliminal messaging is for the adults’ to target them into enjoying
the “cartoons”. This is unfortunate because children watch the cartoons on the
television and they see material that is not appropriate for their age group.
The Children who watch too much cartoons on
television are more likely to have mental and emotional problems, along with
brain and eye injuries and unexpectedly the risk of a physical problem
increases.
Mental and Psychological Effects on Children who Watch Cartoons From the
time children start school to the time that they graduate they are averaged to
spend around 13,000 hours in school. This may seem like an awful lot of hours
to attend
school unless it is compared to the hours a child watches television, which is
nearly 18,000 hours (from the time school is started to the time of
graduation). This comparison is an outrage because of the amount of television
that is watched by a child will have an effect on their brain, emotions and
their sense to feel pain. In a 2000 report on adolescent violence, the U.S.
Surgeon General David Satcher stated
that more aggressive behavior in a
young child’s life is caused by
frequently watched entertainment that
incorporates violence in it. This has
become a public health issue and
because of the research findings; the
American Psychological Association passed a resolution in February of
1985,informing broadcasters and the public about the dangers violence on the
television has on children. Three major effects have been proven by
psychological research caused by children seeing violence on television are
that the child may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others;
children who watch violence do not fear violence nor are they bothered by
violence in general and the children are more likely to become aggressive or
use harmful actions towards others. When we are born we have the capacity
for motivation, experience, and training, and because of this our minds are
very impressionable. Therefore, our brains’ development is a dynamic mix of
nature and nurture, so it is important to choose a healthy environment for all
children. This means cartoons with violence will be unhealthy for a child
because in general, being interactive with any environment enhances the
development of a successful brain. As a result, a
tremendous amount of childhood involvement with electronic media can limit
social interaction and may obstruct the development of a brain’s social
systems.
Television’s Effect on the Brain and EyesBy: Robert Leu
In December 1997, an episode of the Japanese cartoon “Pocket Monster” (later
renamed “Pokémon” for international distribution) drew worldwide attention after
multiple cases of children suffering seizures after watching the episode were reported
(Warner, 2004). Parents began to wonder how the cartoons their children watched
affected their mental development. While no former study specifically relating to
cartoons has taken place, multiple studies over the years have charted the impact of
television on the minds and eyes of developing children.
Most eye specialists agree that watching television is not a danger to the eyes,
as long as children watch in the right conditions. The room should not be pitch black,
and children should not sit closer than five feet away from the screen. Sitting in a dark
room or closer than five feet will not damage the eyes, but will result in eye fatigue.
(Adams, 1992).
As for the brain, there is scientific
evidence that too much television can be
detrimental to children. The April 2004 issue of
the medical journalPediatrics published a study
done by Children’s Hospital and Regional
Medical Center of Seattle, Washington. The
study revealed that children who watched three
to four hours of television daily had a 30 to 40
percent greater risk of developing attention deficit disorder than children who did not
watch television. While no specific program is directly responsible, Dr. Dimitri
Christakis, leader of the study, speculates that the speed of the images displayed could
affect children’s brains (Today’s Chiropractic, 2004).
But does watching television give young children seizures? Yes, and no. A
study released by The New England Journal of Medicine in July 2004 found that most
children who suffered seizures from that December 1997 episode of “Pocket
Monsters” had epilepsy, or some other underlying condition that would have caused
development of seizures, regardless of whether or not they saw that program (Warner,
2004).
Increased Risk in Child Safety
By: Brandon Ybarra
Today in many children’s cartoon’s you see cartoon
characters jumping, diving, and falling from very high heights,
then landing without being harmed. Parents seem to be happy with this as along
as the cartoon doesn’t promote sex or any kind of violence. But, are these
type of cartoon really ok for your children to watch? On every episode of
Loony Tunes you will probably see a
short clip of Wile E. Coyote trying to
catch the Road Runner. And in every clip
Wile E. Coyote in some shape or form
seems to fall off a cliff or simple have one of his inventions back fire and
cause a mass explosion. Yet, he manages to collect his teeth, dust him self
off and get up for another attempt to catch the Road Runner. Another example
of this sort of cartoon would have to be Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. In these
cartoons it always seems to be rabbit hunting season and Elmer Fudd can never
seem to shoot that “dang ol’ rabbit.” When he tries, Bugs usually finds a way
to either bend the gun to aim at Elmer or to plug it up with some kind of
object. But, either way the guns always fire into Elmer’s face. I could go on
about numerous cartoons that display these kinds of characteristics. But, what
I’m trying to get at is that these sorts of cartoons are displaying false
sense of reality upon children. Being able to fall off a tall cliff or being
shot with a gun in the face and walking from these incidents with barely a
scratch. At a young age, this false sense of reality can really affect them.
It has been proving that children on average watch 4 hours or television a
day. And because of this false sense of reality “for every hour of TV viewed
per day, the risk of injury rose by about 34% in the children studied.”
(Website) As a child growing up I know I looked up to and wanted to be like
the super heroes in the cartoons I watched. I would imagine that it would be
the same today. That’s why the false sense of reality that
cartoons show may in encourage children to try things that they
see their favorite super hero do. In some cases TV has also been linked to
causing seizures. “Either high-speed flashes of light or rapid color changes
are thought able to induce seizures in vulnerable individuals.” (Website) They
found this to be the reason for so many seizures in Japan. “Rapid changing
stimuli can play havoc with the special cells in the retina called rods and
cones that help the eye transmit visual information to the brain.” (Website)
So just because the cartoons your children are watching don’t show sex or
violence doesn’t mean that they are innocent. Because of this false sense of
reality children at a young age can’t tell the difference between cartoons and
realism. An increase of 34% isn’t a small jump when talking about injuries to
children.
TV’s Effect on Children’s Behavior
By: Ben Wilcox
Television has long been criticized for influencing our children. People
complain that certain TV shows are having negative effects on their children. The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) both feel that TV does influence the behavior of
children as young as one year old.
From their studies, the AACAP states, “Children who view shows
in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or
unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see.” This speaks
to the impressionable mindsets of young children, who are still
learning control of their minds and bodies, and are likely to mimic what they see, as it
seems quite normal to them. The AACAP also stresses the need for parents to keep a
close eye on what their children watch. They must be there, the AACAP says, to
explain that the cartoon character or actor that was shot has not been harmed, but
would actually be seriously injured, or die in real life. They should also work to tell
their children that violent behavior is not the best course of action to resolve a
conflict.
The AAP states “Neuroscientists have shown that environmental experiences
significantly shape the developing brain.” This again adds to the idea that young
children are very impressionable. They paid more attention to the effect of TV on
children in their daily lives. “Higher levels” the AAP states, “of television viewing
correlate with lowered academic performance, especially reading scores. This may be
because television substitutes for reading practice, partially because the compellingly
visual nature of the stimulus blocks development of left-hemisphere language
circuitry. A young brain manipulated by jazzy visual effects cannot divide attention to
listen carefully to language.” TV is a very quick medium. Messages are shot at the
viewer as if by an automatic rifle. Their minds must be equally as quick to interpret
the messages, and with such a “two-minute mind”, many messages are misinterpreted,
or confused. When the child becomes used to receiving information at so fast a rate,
they lose interest in information that is more detailed and methodical, such as the
information received in day-to-day schooling.
Television certainly does affect our children, who find themselves mesmerized
by the bright flashing objects, and rapid assault of messages. It is good to know that
the leaders of our medical professions feel that parents and supervisors of children are
able to help slow the information down, and explain what the messages really mean,
so as to have a more positive effect on our children.
Visual Subliminal Messaging in Children’s Cartoons
By: Chris Choma
Children’s cartoons are packed with many controversial
topics such as violence and sexuality. These messages are not
always purposely placed in the cartoon, but instead are
sometimes the result of an oversensitive parent or a
misunderstanding. However, many parents would be shocked
to learn that cartoon makers are intentionally brainwashing their children by secretly
placing messages never to be deciphered by the conscious mind, but instead
propagating the subconscious, into behaving a certain way.
This practice is known as subliminal messaging and it is certainly nothing new
to mass media. Ever since the advent of television and radio, subliminal messaging
has had a place in both advertising and programming. But what is subliminal
messaging? It is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as, “Below the
threshold of conscious perception; inadequate to produce conscious awareness but
able to evoke a response” (AHD, 1352). What this means in the world of mass media
is advertisers and programmers are slipping in messages that you act upon and don’t
even realize that you are doing it. And they are also doing it to children. Although
there is no official law that makes subliminal messages illegal, it is widely frowned
upon by the Federal Communications Council (FCC). Stiff fines and penalties
including revocation of a station’s broadcasting license can arise if a station
knowingly airs anything containing a subliminal message. This is was not always the
case as proven by the FCC in the 1950’s when legislation that was to forbid
subliminal messages was overturned. The FCC referred to Section 326 of the
Communications Act stating, “ The FCC is prohibited from censoring broadcast
material, including advertising.” It wasn’t until 1958, when the National Association
of Broadcasters pressured the FCC to make subliminal messages illegal, that the FCC
finally complied by revising its policies on the matter. The new code states: Any
technique whereby an attempt is made to convey information to the listener by
transmitted messages below the threshold of normal awareness is prohibited (FCC
Information Bulletin 7). This law, however, only limits the use of auditory subliminal
messaging. There has never been any legislation passed restricting the use of visual
coercement of the subconscious, which remains legal today.
Many acts of accused subliminal
messaging are easily explained by a simple
coincidence. Such as the infamous Disney
stories, when in the 1990’s, conservative
Christian groups such as the American Life
League accused the children’s entertainment
giant of placing subliminal messages of a sexual nature in its films. In the movie, The
Lion King, the word S-E-X is spelled out by flying dust as Simba plops on the
ground. There was also the incidence of a phallic symbol being placed on the cover
of The Little Mermaid’s videotape box. While these can be explained as an accident
or a coincidence that just slipped by, other acts of subliminal messaging are purely
intentional.
Ken Sobel, a business man from New York, became aware of subliminal
messages in cartoons in the 1980’s while viewing a videotaped episode of Alf, the
animated series, he noticed a glitch in the middle of a battle scene. Upon further
review, he was able freeze the tape on the exact frame that caused the glitch. He was
instantlystunned at what he saw. There, on the screen, was the
image of an American flag in the background, the statue of liberty
in front of that, and diagonally across the screen in large block
letters was the word A-M-E-R-I-C-A. This image was present for only one frame, or
1/30th of a second. This was brought to the attention of NBC Studios which originally
aired the broadcast. Although NBC, as well as ABC and CBS, has a policy
prohibiting the use of subliminal messages, it does not actively screen its shows for
such content. NBC launched its own investigation on the incident and reported that
while in production at Korumi Studios in Japan, where the cartoon was made,
animators admitted to intentionally placing the image as well as others within their
cartoons. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was also at the center of controversy after it
was released on home video. In a scene where Jessica Rabbit is tossed out of the car,
her legs spread and for about four frames, there is her exposed genitalia in full
detail. The animator responsible for this scene admitted to what he had done,
claiming: “I thought no one would notice.”
The use of subliminal messages such as these has
been almost eliminated because technology has
advanced to where home viewers are now able to search what they are watching frame
by frame. Animators are now cautious not to put such blatant images in
cartoons. Whether or not subliminal messages still exist is known only by those who
put them there. Since we are not meant to know, will we ever know if we and our
children are being brainwashed?
Auditory Subliminal Messaging in Children’s Cartoons
By: Shawnte Ray
The lessons that the media conveys to those parts of
the mind without conscious perception through the
cartoons that people watch, are referred to as subliminal
messages.
“If that’s the Democraitc way, I am voting
Republican.” This was said by Meowth in an episode of “Pokemon” that aired on
Monday, October 11th, 2004 at 4:00 p.m. When children watch cartoons, they always
pay attention to what is being said. In a child’s subconscious mind, he or she is
exposed to auditory subliminal messages that they may never discover, but they will
eventually become a part of their lives. Not all auditory subliminal messaging is
negative. However, most of these messages have a negative effect on children. The
interesting thing about the situation is that these messages are most common in
popular cartoons.
SpongeBob Squarepants has been on the air since 1999 on
Nickelodeon. Today, it still remains popular and new episodes
are still being created. It is now 2004 and people are speaking
out against the messages that they found hidden in a number of
episodes. The main allegation against SpongeBob Squarepants is its use of metaphors
in place of profanity. When he is disappointed, SpongeBob will often yell out “Tartar
Sauce”. To an adult ear, that phrase may sound like it is intended to represent a curse
word.
Also belonging to the Nickelodeon station is “Rugrats”. It has been on the air
since 1991. The show is often seen as prurient or “sex driven”. The last name of the
main characters is “Pickles” which is a euphemism for the male genitalia. Lou
Pickles usually calls his grandson, Tommy Pickles by the name “sprout”. It has been
argued that this nickname is also a euphemism for the male
genitalia as well. Angelica Pickles represents the S&M of
“Rugrats” because constantly physically and verbally abuses the
babies. Lesbianism is also portrayed in this cartoon. Phil and Lil’s mom, Betty
Deville is what we would call a “Bull Dyke” because she wears a bandana, hangs out
with feminine women, yells a lot, and loves sports.
When parents choose what cartoons to let their
children watch, they want to make sure that these
cartoons are appropriate for general audiences. If a
parent was to find profane or sexual language in the content of a cartoon, they
wouldn’t allow their children to watch that cartoon anymore. People who create
popular cartoons are careful to not allow any vulgar content to be incorporated into
their cartoons. However, every cartoon can’t be made perfectly safe for viewing by
children and some of the verbal content may be mistaken for auditory subliminal
messages.
Marketing Practices of Companies that produce Children’s Cartoons
By: Divia Nelson
Ask any company today what is one of the best ways to
sell a product? Many will respond, make it accessible to
children. Surprise by this response? Well, you shouldn’t be. “Nearly
2 billion dollars is roughly spent on advertising to young consumers in America alone.
Nearly 30 billion dollars are racked in annually from children 4 to 12 years of age and
the numbers get even higher with age”(Shah 1). Children are no longer viewed as
vulnerable human beings that need to be nurtured. Nowadays, companies are
increasingly viewing kids through an economic lens. This is because children are
easy to take advantage of. A child will see an item that they want and will throw a
complete tantrum until their parents give up and purchase it. This is a marketing
company’s dream come true.
Children tend to trust adults even when they shouldn’t. So, when a
spokesperson for a product encourages the child to purchase a product, they will.
Marketers are fully aware of this piece of information and take complete advantage of
it. “Advertising at its best is making people feel that without this product, you’re a
loser” says Nancy Shalek, president of Shalek Agency. Kids are very sensitive to that.
If you tell them to buy something, they are resistant. But if you tell them that they’ll
be a dork if they don’t, you’ve got their attention.” Marketing Companies can open up
emotional vulnerabilities, and it’s very easy to do with kids
because they are emotionally vulnerable.
Cartoon companies are the most
common companies that are tapping into
this new trend. It is literally impossible
to walk into any store today and not see any licensed cartoon merchandise. From
playing cards to toothpaste, these companies have covered every angle possible. By
doing this it makes it impossible for a child to walk into a store and not want a
specific item. Cartoon companies are also known to advertise their object in between
television shows. The commercials are designed to have the child infatuated with the
object and wanting it as soon as possible. With such devises these companies are
using today, it is quite understandable why these companies bring in billions of dollars
a year.
References
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o can remember watching Looney Toons or Tom and Jerry on Saturday mornings? Cartoons have changed drastically over the years but have their effects on children? Let's compare some older cartoons to their replacements. Looney Toons & Tom and Jerry both have something in common that most toons today do not have... Violence! Tom is always trying to hurt and catch Jerry even though he is usually the one that gets injured and Wile E. Coyote is always getting smashed by anvils. So what message do these cartoons send out? That it's only funny until someone gets hurt, then it's hilarious. Is that the message you want your children to receive? Most cartoons today are almost fully educational. Channels like Noggin and NickJr. host an array of shows geared at teaching toddlers important life lessons. Shows like Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go teach toddlers about caring for and helping others and they introduce them to the Spanish language. Ni Hao, Kai-Lan teaches children Chinese and problem solving, while LazyTown teaches the importance of eating healthy and exercising as well as being considerate of others. The list for educational shows on television is endless. Toddlers today are more informed than toddlers from decades ago before reaching even preschool level. They are shown that violence is not okay and taught to care about and want to help other people and animals. The effects of cartoons on toddlers has gone from being a negative one, only offering destructive humor, to becoming positive by teaching them about love, life and being kind-hearted humans. Not saying people who watched Looney Toons as a child turned out to be negative destructive people. The fact is that cartoon creators have taken the negativity and violence out of their shows and as far as most can see it has made a positive difference in our youth. Toddlers and other children this day and age are kind, more creative individuals. They care about helping others, animals and the environment, something that most of us as children knew little about. Television programs are not the only reason for brighter and
more empathetic generations but it is a good start. Making certain that children are being enriched in school as well as at home in front of their TVs is an important step to making strong, smart, caring and innovative future adults
Cartoon films are central focus of many very young children's lives, used by parents to help manage busy schedules, keep the peace. Many parents also express satisfaction with the educational benefits of TV and how it can teach positive behaviors.Some of these positive effects are :
Educational benefits:
By watching educational cartoon films ,children at every age learn so many things. Infants and toddlers start learning different words, objects and their meanings. Also, they can improve overall cognitive knowledge among young children.When a kid watches TV in his very early age, he learns many things before going to school. He takes up things easily and tries to learn how to speak and conduct himself.Helps Improve Vocabulary and Learn new languages Good media increases the vocabulary of the kids. Children also learn to interact in various languages with help of television media. For instance children who don’t have English as their first language, learn English more readily, from watching these cartoon films as compared to their teacher and books .
Makes a Child feel more confidentWhile watching their favorite cartoon show, kids adopt many things and sometimes they talk and behave in the same manner as their favorite characters do.Doing so they feel more comfortable and confident that they can talk to people and even can perform in front a crowd
Brain Development
Enhance imagination and creativity
By watching cartoon films, children become more creative. They try to do things in different ways. so their imagination and creativity is enhanced. There is also evidence in the literature that children’s imaginative play can be positively affected by television content .
The children get new ideas with which they can show their talent.
Develop parent-children relationship
When parents buy different storybooks, watch different cartoons and children programs with their children or let their children to cinemas for watching movies. In each of the above case parents spend time with their children. As a result parents child relationship is improved. Many researches have shown that media influence parent child relationship.
Source of entertainment
Cartoon films are also source of entertainment for every child even for infants and toddlers. Like infants and toddlers enjoy sounds and movement and at the same time they also learn from it.
6. 'Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why it is called 'Present' - Master Oogway
7. 'To tie a victory is to find your opponent weaknesses and make him suffer for it. To take his strength and use it against him until he finally falls or quits' - Master Shifu
8. 'Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor making it fruit before its time' - Master Oogway
9. 'To make something special, you just have to believe in special' - Po's Father
After watching the movie for the third time, these are some of the Quotes that I like:
1. 'There is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness' - Po
2. 'One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it' - Master Oogway
3. 'Your mind is like this water my friend. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear' - Master Oogway
4. 'There are no accidents' - Master Oogway
5. 'I probably suck more than anyone in the history of Kung Fu, in the history of China, and in the history of sucking' – P
Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely.