Chapter 2 : Discussion
What are the Bad effects that Parents should be aware of when letting their children watch cartoons?
Definition of Human Behavior
A detailed definition of human behavior is presented in the Encyclopaedia Britannica website which states that human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity for physical, mental, and social activity during the phases of human life. The website stated further that "Human beings, like other animal species, have a typical life course that consists of successive phases of growth, each of which is characterized by a distinct set of physical, physiological, and behavioral features. These phases are prenatal life, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (including old age). Human development, or developmental psychology, is a field of study that attempts to describe and explain the changes in human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capabilities and functioning over the entire life span, from the fetus to old age."
Human Behavior can be generalized as the way people act on the things that are happening around the country. It may render from good or bad, depending on the person's perception of what is good to intake or not.
Definition of Cartoon Humor
When considered as an act or term while watching a cartoon. Cartoon Humor is a combined word of cartoon and Humor. Cartoon as the subject and Humor as the verb. Based on the Merriam - Webster dictionary and its concise encyclopedia , cartoon is defined as (a) "a drawing in a newspaper or magazine intended as a humorous comment on something". Cartoons are not just collaborating with any forms of medias in animation, but also in human behaviour that they use in their jokes while the show.
The Effects of Watching Cartoons
Cartoons are the most frequent and easily accessible source of entertainment provided among the children. With the vastness of media and extension of channels, it has become easier for the children to watch their favorite cartoon shows on a single click and at the same time it has become more convenient for the parents to provide their children with the all-time favorite activity. The leisure time which was before spent by the children in outdoor activities is now replaced with watching their favorite shows on television for long hours, peering at all sorts of cartoons, mostly without the supervision of elders who are completely unaware that this might have certain effects on their psychological development later displayed on their behavioral patterns.
A. Violence
Cartoons as centuries pass by, became more cruel and gruesome in which surprisingly the audiences found it appealing, especially the kids. Humans have this natural sense of humor, in different ways , but all in the same aspect - a need to laugh.
Mark Hadley wrote an article, "Is Cartoon Violence Bad for Kids?". He stated that "This slapstick style cartoon is built around a simple formula, that owes much to comic ancestors like Tom and Jerry, though the level of violence has escalated over the years. Where Jerry might have dropped an anvil on Tom, the cockroaches now resort to attacking Oggy with buses and submarines. The issues associated with cartoon violence however, remain as fresh as the first time they turned up on TV."
There are Pros and Cons in Violence and so much more in Cartoon violence which is way more accessible to kids. The kid may interpret violence in a wrong way, thinking that it is good to hurt someone for personal pleasure. One of the Pros is that cartoon violence enhances kids to be more aware in their surroundings. Violence also helps them to modulate their survival instincts and creativity towards danger.
B. Sadism
Watching cartoons became a habit for some kids and teenagers, and the parents are not aware of the lessons their kids are learning from the show. It may be 80's, 90's, or the current - Cartoons are still considered as behavioral activists because the characters it portrayed remain as a counterpart significant role of a human person.
Maia Szalavitz wrote an article, Understanding Psychopathic and Sadistic Minds . She stated that "When viewing the pictures of pain, the sadists showed greater activation in their amygdala — a brain area associated with strong emotion — compared with the other sexual offenders. Moreover, the sadists rated the pain experienced by the victim as more intense than the nonsadists did. And the more intense the sadists thought the pain was, the greater their activation in another brain region called the insula, which is involved with monitoring one’s own feelings and body states."
People always love to see fights. Society pays to see a live boxing match. The humans created acting as a source of entertainment. Our behavioral pattern towards violence is natural. It is a fact that some children became sadists because of misused knowledge about cartoons. Sadism, based on Szalavitz is a person that enjoys the pain of others. There is a connection formed between a behavior of a person and the cartoon humor. The cartoon provides guidelines, while the human generates its facts and formulates an ideal mindset about a certain belief.
C. Schizophrenia
Being arrogant about something will not help you to be into something. Just like Phineas and Ferb's older sister - Candace Flynn. With the demand for young creative minds to go for a course majoring in Art, we can't deny the fact that animators are one of the most popular and most lucrative jobs nowadays. Phineas and Ferb is the most famous cartoon shows kids love at present. Due to the trifling act of science, cartoon humor, which each character possesses, children who are watching this show will be hooked up watching the series all day and night. But, nevertheless the parents know that the cartoon series Phineas and Ferb is not just about creative science, and humor. It also tackles a serious mental illness called " Schizophrenia".
Sherry Rauh wrote an article, "When Schizophrenia Appears" which stated that "People with schizophrenia can have a hard time telling what’s real and what’s not. They may see things that aren’t there or hold firm beliefs that fly in the face of fact."
(Source: http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/features/when-schizophrenia-appears )
Most of the time, we see cartoons as a kids' show that is exaggerated for the entertainment of the children. But, parents don't know that cartoons have behavioral problems that the children might inherit while watching the series. In the Cartoon series Phineas and Ferb, their older sister, Candace, suffers from a long term mental disorder "Schizophrenia". That explains why she can't fight the urge to divulge the activities of their brothers in front of their parents. Animators nowadays are witty in terms of their secret recipe for a great cartoon show, but, greatness always has its downfall.
C. Schizophrenia
Being arrogant about something will not help you to be into something. Just like Phineas and Ferb's older sister - Candace Flynn. With the demand for young creative minds to go for a course majoring in Art, we can't deny the fact that animators are one of the most popular and most lucrative jobs nowadays. Phineas and Ferb is the most famous cartoon shows kids love at present. Due to the trifling act of science, cartoon humor, which each character possesses, children who are watching this show will be hooked up watching the series all day and night. But, nevertheless the parents know that the cartoon series Phineas and Ferb is not just about creative science, and humor. It also tackles a serious mental illness called " Schizophrenia".
Sherry Rauh wrote an article, "When Schizophrenia Appears" which stated that "People with schizophrenia can have a hard time telling what’s real and what’s not. They may see things that aren’t there or hold firm beliefs that fly in the face of fact."
(Source: http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/features/when-schizophrenia-appears )
Most of the time, we see cartoons as a kids' show that is exaggerated for the entertainment of the children. But, parents don't know that cartoons have behavioral problems that the children might inherit while watching the series. In the Cartoon series Phineas and Ferb, their older sister, Candace, suffers from a long term mental disorder "Schizophrenia". That explains why she can't fight the urge to divulge the activities of their brothers in front of their parents. Animators nowadays are witty in terms of their secret recipe for a great cartoon show, but, greatness always has its downfall.
The Relevance of Cartoons to our Behavioral Pattern
Cartoons are made by people, and cartoon itself is a servant of its kind. Society tends to make things lighter with a brink of imagination and a slight comedic appeal. With the fast paced changing of the world, television become people's main source of entertainment and their friendly stress relievers. It may vary from drama, to horror, to comedy, and to cartoons. All of these are created not just for a single person, but a group of them.
Everything has a reason, and has an explanation. We could tell by Mark Hadley's article that cartoon violence is not that bad for a child, because it also enhances its creativity and survival thinking. The behavioral pattern of a person is not depending on the shows he may be watching, but the values he likes and learns from it. It may sound as complex as it may be, because from the start it was undefined.
The deep connections lie within its process. Human behavior can relate to cartoon humor due to the process that humans are the one's who made it. The concepts of cartoons are the daily lives of humans as well. That makes this a must read, or most awaited cartoon to watch for kids. The cartoonists make their art meaningful for the kids to learn, to enjoy, and to make life interesting and unforgettable. If a child has watched a cartoon with light story and full of moral lessons, he or she could become a cheerful and respectful person when he or she grows up. But when a child has been addicted to violent cartoon shows, that child could also emulate whatever he has seen on television. So cartoon shows are really very relevant to our behavioral pattern. It could make or unmake a child.
