How much or little do you think the violence in cartoons affects the person our child becomes?

Question

There are obvious connections between violence and kids - - like some video games, parental example and what they're exposed to on non-monitored television.

What about the less obvious connections? Tom and Jerry are always cutting off each other's tails, shooting one another, and stuffing each other into microwaves. And Looney Tunes, etc.

Answer 1

i dont think its the cartoons i think its the way you were reaised i was taught right from wrong so tv and cartoons never would havemade me run out and shoot any one

Answer 2

I tend to take Joey's (from Full House) perspective:

You see a tiny mouse drop a 100 lb anvil on a cat.  You know that in real life it is physically impossible for a small child to drop a 100 lb anvil on anyone much less even lift one.  And to top that off, the cat flattens and pops up like an accordion!  The "violence" is very fictional and it's more humorous than anything.  It's like the Hatfield's and the McCoy's feud.  It's funny to watch and you know that the violence is logically and physically impossible.  I don't think there's huge connection.  I believe violent video games and blood and gore are more likely to be culprits of violence in children.

Good question...I'll star it! :)

Answer 3

lets face it now people.. you will never remove violence .. bad words or sexual content from your child's world. It  is up to every parent to teach their kids right from wrong. Some words .. movies.. drinks ETC... are for Grownups only.. if you shield your child from life they are in big trouble when they get in school....

Answer 4

There is no connection. Its a cop out for parents who no longer take the time to teach the difference between fantasy and reality. In 30 years I have never seen a child try to shoot a rocket, drop an anvil on someones head or chase them with an ax. And those were frequent happenings on Saturday morning cartoons.

Answer 5

I really hate it when video games and cartoons are blamed for violent actions. Honesty, parents should read the rating on the game case. If parents have children that are between, oh I don't know, 5 or 10, they shouldn't get them T or M rated games. Then again, I've been playing violent games such as Goldeneye and Grand Theft Auto since I was 6 but I'm a very well-manered person in general. About the cartoon thing, I don't think they have that big of an impact. I mean, we all know that you can't survive a big fall off a cliff, or an anvil to the head, and so many other unrealistic things that happen in cartoons.

Answer 6

Hi Mozz, I have five children and any time I wasn't watching carefully enough and they put on something a bit violent in a very short amount of time they were wrestling and fighting in usually a more violent fashion than usual. The Tom and Jerry stuff just fills their innocent heads with its ok to be violent and there isn't much problem with it. You can always use the button changer or off button ;)

Answer 7

NO connection and I hate when people blame this stuff on violent behaviors.  

If , and only if , you have a child that cannot seperate reality and Tv, then there might be a problem.  Its up to parents to explain that these things are not real. Heck we all grew up on cartoons where an anvel was dropped on the road runner daily.

Answer 8

I think the real difference is that the old fashioned cartoons were so obviously not real.  You're talking a cat and mouse ...

It is hard for people to remember that kids, while they are not stupid, their brains are not fully developed.  I fully believe that continuous exposure to realistic violence does affect their development.  They begin to think that violence is cool and it would be cool to see in real life.  You can 'tell' them it is fake but the graphics today are so real, you can't tell the difference.

Answer 9

I think it does effect them.  I remember the first time I saw the Tom and Jerry episode as a kid, where Tom faces the guillotine at the end (I was five).  Even though the only thing shown is the blade dropping from a distance, and then Jerry and Nibbles gulp with the latter saying, "Poor, poor pussycat", that scene bothered me deeply, and I had a hard time sleeping for a few days afterward.  

Warner Brothers must know it has some effect on people as well.  In the Bugs Bunny episode where he and Yosemite Sam are running against each other for mayor, at the end they get beaten out by a horse.  The original ending scene (which W.B. has now edited out) is Bugs asking Sam how about Russian Roulette.  Bugs goes first, but decides to duck while squeezing the trigger, and Sam is the one who gets blasted in the head.  Why would W.B. edit this scene out if they were not getting letters from parents about how it effects children.  

Studies have also shown how children who spend a good deal of hours playing video games also show such violent tendencies.  Speaking as someone who works in a Daycare Center, I have found this to be true also.

Answer 10

I dont think Tom and Jerry or Road Runner has much of and effect on a child or who that child becomes.  I think those ppl who blame it on that are just looking for a comp out of thier bad parenting.  I know several kids who grew up on that stuff and didnt become bad ppl.  I do think video games have ratings for a reason and if it has a bad rating and they recomend your child not use it till older than I suggest parents follow that advice.  Its there b/c they know that older children are smart enough to tell fact from fiction and younger ones are not.  Same with movies.  This all goes back to the parent using good judgement on letting their child watch those movies, play those games, and watch those cartoons....its not the cartoon itself its the parent and how they teach their children that those things are not real and you cant do that in the real world!

Answer 11

There is not connection.  Children/preteens/teens all use "the video game made me do it" because they need an excuse so they dont get their asses beat.  Or parents use it as an excuse to explain their bad parenting.  Parents need to teach children "cartoons are fake you should never do that" thats all it takes.  Unless you teach yuor child to be easy influenced, especially with cartoons, then thats just asking for trouble

Answer 12

Well I watched a lot of cartoons when I was growing up and I can say with certainty that no matter how mad I get, I have never dropped an anvil on someone's head.  Meep, meep.