Cartoons aren't just for kids. Animation is a technique and with it content is also made for adults. So when you see your son or daughter in front of the screen watching cartoons, check that they are the most appropriate for their age, because there are some drawings that are better to avoid.
Children develop very early, around the age of 2, capacity for empathy. Seeing how his favorite cartoon suffers, or how he feels abandoned will cause him great pain. It is very possible that you see your daughter or son crying for something that you do not understand, or on the contrary, being tremendously happy with what happens to the puppets on TV.
Some cartoon series to avoid
Many parents argue that there is nothing wrong with cartoons. They take for granted that since they are drawings they are already childish. And it is not true. As a consequence of many successful cartoons have been made by professionals, By a team of specialized psychologists and scriptwriters, the idea is taken that all drawings are done the same. But in practice this is not the case, violence in cartoons, as in certain TV shows, it is quite frequent.
The “classic” series of drawings that children should avoid are:
- The incredible world of Gumball. Suitable for children over eight years of age.
- Futurama, specific series for adolescents and adults.
- Dragon Ball.
- The Simpsons, a series for ages 12-14 years. In it absurd or violent behaviors stand out, with excessively marked gender roles.
- The Super Chicks. They are always fighting instead of using dialogue, and they do not add values.
- South Park, with a fairly adult, aggressive and sexual theme. Not at all recommended to children.
- Family Guy.
In the case of Sponge Bob, This series is not recommended for the little ones. On the one hand, there is a black humor in it that is impossible to understand at those ages, and also because of the accumulation of absurd ideas that the protagonist proposes and carries out, like putting your feet in boiling oil to cure a cold.
Should dramas in cartoons be avoided?
There is a generation that we grew up watching Marco cry, because his mother abandoned him, or the death of Bambi's mother. As the psychologist Clotilde Sarrió comments, a plot that emotionally encourages an empathetic crying response, from the age of 2, does not have to be harmful to the child, but force child sensitivity Beyond the limit of suffering, they do not contribute anything positive to the evolution of their affectivity.
Death on the screen causes terrible pain to the kids. The emotional consequences of these situations can be traumatic. And the same happens if you see the death of an innocent animal on the screen, especially in those children who have a pet.
Although older children may understand death and separation losses to some extent, they also suffer from seeing scenes that produce fear, violent situations, kidnappings ... It is very important that as mothers we are alert and willing to clarify all their doubts to the child.
Should animation in general be avoided?
The natural tendency of children when they get together is to play carrying out collaborative activities. This should give us adults a clear indication of what children want to do. Typically, the child enjoys television alone.
If there is excessive exposure to cartoons they can become source of anxiety in the child. At the same time that it reduces his creative capacity, encouraging aggressiveness and encouraging him to seek emotions and sensations, which are potentially dangerous for his physical integrity and his mental health.
Emotionally children, through cartoons they feel rather sadness or anger, especially intense when an episode ends and the child is forced to return to the real world and face his daily obligations.