The Power Of Animation

Animated television has been a staple in households with children for decades. Cartoons  are known to teach children positivity but it's probably doing the opposite. In recent years shows like Family Guy and American Dad have taken cartoons from being innocent to being a delinquents favorite show. Animated TV shows opens young people’s minds to violence and negative behavior. However, when adults see the animated format they assume that it is automatically acceptable for children to watch.   

Shows like Family Guy and American Dad are shows that are animated but are not made for children. They have content about sex, drugs and other vulgar things, yet it’s watched heavily by young people because it’s animated and funny. According to the site USA Today and Nielsen Media research, Family Guy ranks at number 5 for the most watched show for people between the ages of 2-11. Among teens it's ranked as the second most watched television show. For the viewers it was made for, adults, it's ranked at no.18 for adults 18-49 and no.118 for adults 50 and over. When criticized by the parent groups, the executive producer says, “I think it's absolutely for adults, I don't let my kids watch it. They're 8 and 6. We're doing a show for us (the 14 writers). Most are over 30, a few over 40, but we all remember what we found funny.” Children are being exposed to things some people say they shouldn’t be exposed to. Because the show is animated and put on during the day, parents are being tricked into thinking it's okay to watch.

For people who think these shows are harmless, there is proof that they can impact behavior. In an article published by the Animation World Network (ANW), Dr. Ruebert gives cases in which children’s brains were altered by animation. One example was when a boy, by the name of Dickie Johnson, decided to take his family yacht on a spin in the lake. The boy crashed the yacht destroying the family dock. According to Dickie’s mother, after seeing The Mouse in theatres Dickie has became a “hellion” and wouldn’t stop torturing the family’s cat. The family sued Walt Disney for the corruption of a minor and inciting mischief. While on the stand, Dickie said, “I thought if a lowly, common mouse could drive a boat, surely I could too.”  This case proves that children are influenced to do things that they see on television, like Dickie, which takes over the child's mind and make things look fun.

The family of a boy by the name Devin Grimm sued Walt Disney, Fox, MGM, Warner Bros. and Universal for the mental abuse of their son. According to Devin Grimm's parents, between the ages of 2 and 17 Devin watched close to 21,000 hours of animation which eventually drove him to become a lunatic. In elementary school Devin developed split personality disorder,  where Devin would tie girls to tables and come back to save them after changing his leotards. Devin refused to take his cape off. Throughout his teen years Devin’s need for animation became so crazy he began stealing from video stores, until eventually he was banned. After he was banned from every store in town Devin came up with a plan to rob a store, which went wrong and caused an explosion. Devin was arrested and while going to trial was deemed unfit due to his obsession with animation. Devin was influenced by cartoons to do so many bad things that eventually led to him going to jail in his teens and becoming mentally unstable forever.

These examples show how and why animation affects young people. These young boys watched so much animation, that they thought they could do the things the characters did. Children are very curious and learn from what they see and know. Animation is not the same for every kid, but actually a unique experience for each one. Some children watch animation as a child and grow into healthy human beings who can look back and tell which tv show was there favorite and why. Some children grow into humans who need a little extra help because they're stuck in an animated world. The danger lies in the hands of the parents and what they expose their children to.

WORKS CITED

Dr. Ruebert Saturnine III. "The Adverse Effects of Cartoons on the Minds of Our Children."

Animation World Network, 1 April 2004. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.

Christopher, By. "Fox’s Family Guy: For Children?" N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.