Cartoons are an integral part of any person's childhood. Let any kid near a TV, and they will be glued to the sofa, lapping up one cartoon after the other. Seldom do you come across a child who isn't keen on watching cartoons? Kids are so taken by cartoons that you can use Cartoon Time as a reward for good behavior you want your child to repeat. Why is this? Why are kids so drawn to cartoons?’
Just like children! They are vibrant, colorful, and often musical. The cartoon world is usually nothing like our human world. Even if it is modeled on our world, some things are possible in it that are farfetched in our realm. Often cartoon characters possess superpowers which they use to triumph over villains and set right the ills of the world. Cartoons play on humor and optimism. There's something to cause awe and wonderment at every corner. Also, the good usually beats the bad in a cartoon resulting in happy endings which are appealing to children.
It makes the kids on the other side of the screen feel included socially even when they’re home alone watching TV. Cartoons can often be educational and informational, providing knowledge and learning to kids eager to assimilate facts and trivia. All in all, cartoons provide wholesome entertainment, and this is why children are so fond of them. Even when we grow up, we grow up with happy memories of us whiling away hours watching our favorite cartoons. We try to live this nostalgia by collecting merchandise related to our favorite cartoons if we're still young at heart.
Unbeknownst to us, cartoons also serve another purpose in our lives. Cartoons can be a source of life-lessons. When we identify with our favorite cartoon characters, we try to emulate their actions and behaviors and try to instill their character traits in us. Let’s take a closer look at how book and cartoon characters teach us life lessons.
You'd be surprised, but we grow up imbibing many life lessons from the cartoons we watch. The makers of these shows try to weave in tiny nuggets of wisdom into the narrative without making it overtly preachy. We discuss below some cartoons that teach us certain life lessons.
Okay, so maybe we won’t get stranded in a haunted house with our friends or have to face an evil robot out for our lives but life will throw us many circumstances where it may seem more convenient for us to part ways without friends. The lesson that Scooby Doo tries to impart in practically every episode is that breaking up a group almost always proves detrimental for the members involved. There is strength in unity. What one person can’t, people united can. So every time you see the gang branch out and head separate ways in the cartoon, it never leads to any good. They either land upon their enemy's doorstep or they lose their valuables, or other such unfortunate events occur, worsening their predicament.
Remember Courage? The pink dog who was always working up a fright? Yes, Courage was a scaredy cat if there was any. However, he never let his fear dictate his life. He faced his fears when he had to and risked his own life multiple times to save that of his mistress Muriel’s. If that isn’t bravery, then what is?
At a time when every superhero was just that – male, the Powerpuff Girls showed that girls could kick ass too. The Powerpuff Girls spoiled their nemesis Mojo Jojo’s plans for mass destruction on several occasions and saved the day, all by themselves. If you grew up watching Blossoms, Bubbles, and Buttercup fight the bad guys, you probably did not undermine girls and what they are capable of.
Tom and Jerry were always at loggerheads. But they also always had their best interests at heart. No matter how much they argued, when they spotted the other person in trouble, they ever intervened and tried to help them out. For them, it was always agreed that they could harm each other, but a third party could not behave the same way they'd with each other. Reminds one of the siblings, doesn't it? The cartoon made clear that every intimate relationship has its arguments and disagreements. These arguments and disagreements are in their own place, and the love and care that one feels for the other person in the relationship are in a separate place. One shouldn't affect the other. The arguments shouldn't be able to take away from the affection or care you have for this person. One should recognize these disputes as temporary and not let them impact the relationship.
Dory is one among the many cartoon characters that try to teach us the importance of perseverance in life. Life will have its struggles and difficulties but this does not mean that we give up. We must keep fighting and swimming against the tide. It pays off.
Kids are extremely impressionable. They shape themselves based on what they see around them. Cartoons are fun and distracting. Kids love cartoons. However, parents must regulate the cartoons that they allow their kids to watch. While many cartoons share valuable life lessons with its kiddie audience, some cartoons can teach bad behavior too. As a parent, it is your responsibility to identify and ensure that your kids do not have access to these.
So if you were under the impression that cartoons, as a whole, were bad for your child. Hopefully, this article will make you reconsider. Won’t it?