Effects of Cartoons on Children

By: C.J. Choma

Stevie Hossler
Robert Leu
Divia Nelson
Shawnte Ray
Ben Wilcox
Brandon Ybarra

TCOM 103
Dr. 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 theUnited 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 Childrens 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 childs
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 brains social
systems.



Televisions Effect on the Brain and Eyes
By: Robert Leu

In December 1997, an episode of the Japanese cartoon Pocket Monster (later renamed
Pokmon 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
journal Pediatrics published a study done by
Childrens 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 childrens brains (Todays 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 childrens cartoons 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 doesnt 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 Elmers face. I could go on
about numerous cartoons that display these kinds of characteristics. But,
what Im 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. Thats 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 dont show sex or violence doesnt mean that they are
innocent. Because of this false sense of reality children at a young age
cant tell the difference between cartoons and realism. An increase of 34%
isnt a small jump when talking about injuries to children.









TVs Effect on Childrens 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 Childrens Cartoons

By: Chris Choma

Childrens 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 dont 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 stations 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 1950s 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 wasnt 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.