Cartoons dumbing down kids?

[Davidson]

I switched on cartoon network the other day, and saw something that looked like somebody took a couple of bricks and drew some faces on them and animated it, not to mention the story being big jumble of nonsense.

 

[Kyle31]

It's amazing the things that get put on TV nowadays. I can't stand Cartoon Network as it is, but some of those shows drive me insane.

 

[DaddyO]

Oh I have to agree, 75% of these shows are crap. We watch a lot of old school Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Full House. It's so much better than anything on now.

 

[Sinbian]

It depends on the cartoons, but I don't think so. I watched a lot of stupid cartoons and I turned out just fine. Although I do admit, when I was a kid cartoons were much more interesting.

 

[Phillie]

Well what about Dora and Handy Mandy? They are teaching the kids Spanish. I wouldn't say that is "dumbing" our kids down. You are right that there are a lot of crazy, dumb cartoons out there.

 

[jason]

I have a picture someone sent me. I cannot post it due to some language though. But it shows Wild E Coyote on a rocket and lighting it. Basically it says that back then there were allowed to air it because kids new better then to try it.

I think it comes from a mix of kids back then were better supervised. Parents took an interested in their child's education. They were not just stuck in front of a TV as a babysitter when the parents did not want to deal with their children. You did not have parents sueing because their kid tried something they say on TV while they were getting drunk, smoking cigarettes and ignoring their children.

Some cartoons are educational. Dora is the first that comes to mind. It is educational enough where my three year old knows some Spanish, and is making me think I may need to learn it before she gets too old and yells at me and I do not understand what she is saying.

But I am one of those who enjoys the old cartoons.

 

[bighelp]

Some people are just idiots pure and simple. We still watch many things in this household and some stuff might be over the child's limit, but we are also sitting right next to them explaining it at the same time. Heck, sometimes we are surprised when they want to watch the shows we watch (the hour long ones)!

 

[Kenny]

We watch tv with our little one to see what's going on and in some cases yes carttons are dumbing down kids but that's certainly not the only culprit. Take all the signs you see around town spelling chicken chikn. That kind of thing drives me insane!

 

[Davidson]

I know the caricature you are talking about Jason, the sad part is that it seems to be true. I'm not saying make every show educational, let's be honest kids need to have fun too, but don't make shows that basically assume the kid is an idiot and unless everything is spelled out for him he won't understand.