Group :
Member of the group :
1. Anis Novianti
2. Sisca Nurul Icsan
3. Sutra Ridena Koesherawaty Meylid
IS IT DANGEROUS FOR CHILDREN TO VIEW CARTOON?
Cartoons are an inevitable part of every child’s life. Since the emergence of cartoon films over a century ago, several generations of children have grown up watching animated films. A multitude of girls have fantasized about being princesses and boys have imagined themselves to be valiant knights after watching classic animated tales like Peter Pan, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, etc.However, cartoons can have both positive and negative effects on the cognitive development and behaviour of a child. This article tells you all about the effects of cartoons on children and gives you tips on how to deal with its negative effects.
KONTRA
The importance of cartoons for children can be seen from the various positive effects that cartoons have on child behaviour and development. Here are some positive effects that cartoons can have on children:
1. Helps Children Get an Early Start on Learning
Cartoons can help kids get an early start on learning. The positive influence of cartoons on children can be seen especially in the case of educational cartoons that teach shapes, numbers, and colours. Such cartoons can teach basic things to children in a fun and interactive way, thus making learning an enjoyable activity. The moving, talking pictures and colourful visuals make learning interesting for children.
2. Helps in the Cognitive Development
Watching cartoons can help develop your child’s cognitive skills. It can help develop logic and reasoning ability, visual and auditory processing, and sustained and selective attention of a child.
3. Helps in the Language Development
Cartoons can expose your children to different languages, thus helping children in developing their linguistic abilities. Allowing them to watch cartoons in your native tongue, for example, can help them learn the language better. By watching different cartoons kids can also improve their pronunciation and their manner of talking.
4. Enhances Creativity
Watching cartoons help increase children’s imagination and creativity. Your child will be able to think of new ideas inspired by certain cartoons and come up with new stories or artwork based on the cartoons he watches.
5. Promotes Laughter and Relieves Stress
Children find cartoons amusing and often laugh out loud at the antics of the cartoon characters. Laughter is a good stress buster and a confidence builder. It also boosts immunity and causes the release of endorphins that cause us to have positive feelings.
6. Helps Kids Learn About Different Things
Watching cartoons is a great way to teach your kids about local customs, traditions, history, and mythology. For example, watching animated versions of the Ramayana or Mahabharata can teach kids about Indian mythology. Watching cartoons about Aesop’s Fables or Panchatantra can teach children about good morals, kindness, and compassion.
PRO
While cartoons have many positive effects on children, they can also have negative effects on child behaviour and development. Here are the various negative effects that cartoons can have on children.
1. Encourages Violence
Watching cartoons which depict violence can encourage children to become violent in real life. Also, children may believe that no one gets hurt or feels pain since cartoons escape unscathed after experiencing violence or an accident. For example, characters in Tom and Jerry, The Road Runner, and Oggy and the Cockroaches often hit each other or cause each other to fall from heights, often without any real consequences.
2. Promotes Unruly Behaviour and Lack of Empathy
There are several cartoons which show characters displaying rude or disobedient behaviour towards their teachers and elders. Children may mimic this behaviour and challenge their parents or teachers when they are disciplined for bad behaviour.
3. Promotes the Use of Foul Language
Cartoons often include language that is unfit for children. Children are impressionable, and they may start using bad language that they learn from cartoons in real life.
4. Encourages Unsocial Behaviour
There are several cartoons which encourage antisocial behaviour and give wrong messages to children. Then there are some cartoons that contain sexual innuendos, encourage aggression, and promote bratty behaviour. These can affect your child’s behaviour and make them think it is normal to be aggressive, spoiled, or violent.
5. May Lead to Health Problems Due to Sedentary Lifestyle
Too many hours of sitting in front of a screen watching cartoons can cause several health issues due to inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle. These include obesity, vision problems, and nutritional deficiencies due to bad food habits.
6. Promotes Bad Role Models
Children often idolize their favourite cartoon character and mimic them or aspire to be like them. Often, the object of their admiration could be a misleading role model who encourages the wrong habits or displays insensitive behaviour towards fellow beings. This kind of impact of cartoons on children’s psychology can often lead to devastating consequences and result in children being withdrawn, uncommunicative, antisocial, or unruly.
