I have a 2.5 year-old son, and his current favorite thing to watch is
the classic Spider-Man TV series (the ?67 Collection on DVD). I
recently saw a website that mentioned that this series was appropriate
for kids aged 7 and older. This led me to wonder what the primary
arguments are for not letting children watch cartoons until they reach
a certain age. My son has already seen a variety of movies, including:
each of the Pixar movies, The Iron Giant, Wallace & Gromit, The Lion
King trilogy, Lilo & Stitch, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Spirit,
Brother Bear, the classic Superman cartoons, etc. We always watch the
movies with him the first time he sees them (and frequently during
subsequent viewings). My questions are these: What, specifically, are
reasons cited for not letting children below a certain age watch some
of these materials? What developmental impact, if any, is likely to
result from letting children watch these movies at a very young age?
[Note: This question should not be confused with issues surrounding
the amount of TV that children watch ? we limit his viewing to two
hours or less per day].

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 13 Feb 2005 19:27 PST

Hello mharoks-ga,

You've described your child's TV viewing habits but I'm not clear on
what information you're seeking. Do you need an explanation of the age
rating system for TV programs? Alternately, are you looking for an
explanation of the age-specific developmental changes for early
childhood and from that to extrapolate to what types of TV programs
children are ready for at specific ages? I look forward to  your
clarification.

~ czh ~

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Clarification of Question by mharoks-ga on 13 Feb 2005 21:05 PST

Hi czh,
Thanks for asking. I'm definitely NOT interested in a simple
explanation of the age ratings system, except to the extent that it
tackles broader questions. Your second statement is more what I'm
after. I'm interested in both the arguments that would explain why
particular cartoons would be inappropriate for a young age (e.g., 1-3
years old) but then appropriate after this (what developmental changes
suddenly make the cartoons okay), as well as the problems that may
result from ignoring these "prescriptions" and allowing young children
to watch them. I'd ideally like a list of reasons, backed by some kind
of scientific evidence, that explains what types of cartoon material
are and are not appropriate for children between the ages of 1 and 10
(not by year, necessarily, but at different age categories). These
reasons would presumably include something about the adverse reactions
in child development or health that are more likely to occur if the
guidelines are ignored.
Thanks!

Maroks,

Hi again in admiration of your focus on the well being of your kids.

I reckon that all kids are like sponges, thirsting for knowledge.
Learning is better when it is fun. I'm sure most of us are just big
kids, and kids are little adults.

So, cartoons are fun for kids. Fun equates to memory and imagination,
which leads to learning. If The Simpsons or Southpark are fun learning
"natural" memories for kids, then what do you expect their attitudes
to become? The underlying tones of that which is acceptable is subtle
in these cases.

On the other hand, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Batgirl, etc. incite
the imagination beyond the restrictions of everyday, and also engender
belief in the "can do" approach. I think that kids are wise enough at
an early age to distinguish between fiction and reality. The kid with
the imaginary friend is play acting. They know that their "friend" is
created, and play out the scenario to suit.

The more contrasting the scene the better. Kids know that the
(Disney)Roadrunner will never get caught. Some of the inventions of
the Coyote are not logical, but demonstrative beyond belief. Kids know
the difference here.

One thing that I have learnt from kids: Never underestimate them.

Phil