Cartoons are changing in ways that are negatively impacting the youth who are watching them. We are moving farther away from entertainment and closer to distraction with every new episode.
A clear distinction can be seen when comparing cartoons made in the 90’s and those made in recent years, with characters having more energy, stories moving at a faster pace, dialogue going quicker and the overall show being more stimulating. You can see this easily in long-running shows like “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Older seasons are digestible and warm, while newer episodes are overwhelming, colorful and characters are much more overwhelming and often dumbed down. In the best cases, this change is disappointing to see, and in the worst, there are negative consequences for the youth consuming the media.
Scientists are suggesting that the new fast-paced cartoons are harmful to development. A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics compared the executive functioning of children who either watched fast-paced cartoons, slow-paced cartoons or did an alternative activity, finding fast-paced TV cartoons could, at least, temporarily decrease children’s executive functioning.
The shows of the past, like “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “The Fairly OddParents” and “Gravity Falls,” took their viewers on age-appropriate adventures, teaching important lessons disguised as children’s entertainment. “Gravity Falls” taught those watching the importance of being adventurous and inquisitive, and trying new things, while “The Fairly OddParents” and “SpongeBob SquarePants” showed viewers what it meant to care for others, how to be kind, and other important moral lessons.
Earlier shows, like “Rugrats,” “CatDog” and “Hey Arnold!” provided even more important lessons, but with slower-paced stories and more muted colors. A notable difference from today’s cartoons.
Current cartoons are hard to keep up with, with no moments of silence and no time to digest and understand the content, which is important for younger viewers, according to Common Sense Media. There are fewer and fewer entertaining educational programs currently available to children, and very few that are positively impactful on their development, as reported by the Steamology Project.
Educational shows like “Dora the Explorer,” “The Magic School Bus,” and “Little Einsteins” have essentially gone out of style, and the focus of children’s programming has shifted away from morality and towards engagement.
Parents can be seen complaining on social media about current cartoons, like how “Bluey” and “Peppa Pig” display and encourage negative behaviors. One parent posts about their issues with “Peppa Pig” on Reddit, saying “[Peppa] is constantly body shaming Daddy Pig, and is so condescending.”
In response to this change in TV trends, parents are turning back the clocks for their children’s programming, according to ABC. Parents are choosing to only show cartoons from earlier years. With shows like “Kipper,” “Max and Ruby,” “Franklin” and “Little Bear” entering back into the mainstream.
It’s disappointing to see the changes occurring in children’s media. Still, it makes me glad to see how parents are responding to the science behind high-stimulation TV, and even more excited to know that the current generation can enjoy older cartoons, unifying them with older generations.
