How watching cartoons affects a child's psyche

Do you remember what a special ritual for us in childhood was watching our favorite cartoons? It was a long-awaited event of the whole day, and sometimes of the week. Today, you do not need to wait for a certain time to watch a cartoon — you can turn on anything and anytime for a child. But are there any restrictions?

From our article you will learn whether it is possible for children to watch cartoons and how to do it correctly.The influence of cartoons on children

For a child, cartoons are a window into the world.

They instill certain behaviors, introduce the norms of morality and ethics. They entertain during the rest period from developing classes and training. With the help of cartoons, children learn different ways of solving problems (including life, everyday), learn to think about their actions, learn the diversity of the world, the concepts of good and evil. 

Educational animated series introduce their young viewers to such important objects and phenomena of the surrounding world as fire, electricity, height, traffic, etc. The more attractive the content of such a cartoon, the stronger its message will attract the attention of the baby, which means it will be better remembered. 

But at the same time, many studies confirm that there is also a negative impact of cartoons on the psyche of children.

Violence, which is often a component of the plot, can be interpreted by a child not as a warning about the dangers of the surrounding world, but as a guide to action. 

For example, such harmless, at first glance, cartoons like "Tom and Jerry" or "Well, wait!", make adults smile, and children actually broadcast the model of the victim —stalker relationship, devalue the suffering of the first and exaggerate the aggression of the second.

Cartoon like virtual realitySitting down in front of the screen to watch a cartoon, the child is immersed in the events on the screen.

He becomes part of a fictional world. He can identify himself with the main character or mentally place himself in the plot. 

If there are too many cartoons in his life, then they become almost the only way to learn about the environment. And contemplating the experience of cartoon characters, the kid loses interest in the real world, which is not as fascinating and colorful as the events on the screen. 

The only way to separate reality from fiction in a child's mind is to watch cartoons with their parents.

Adults can comment on the plot, explain where the truth is and where the exaggeration is, where the good is and where the evil is, etc. This will teach the kid to critically perceive the plot and realize that the course of events in reality will not be the same as in the cartoon. 

If you leave children alone in front of the screen, and even for a long time, then there is a risk of long-term consequences. They will get used to exploring the world alone, without the participation of parents. And in adolescence, this can provoke protest behavior, refusal of confidential communication with loved ones. 

Learn how to understand the true needs of a child and choose the method of education that suits him - at Dmitry Karpachev's transplant-free online master class "What every parent should know". The use of cartoons for children

Good cartoons are the helpers of parents in raising a child.

After all , they:they instill good manners, etiquette concepts and rules of interaction with the outside world;

• they help to develop imagination, memory and thinking — cognitive functions of the brain;
• they teach kindness, sincerity, love and friendship;
• interest, distract, soothe;
• instill the skill of analyzing the sequence of events;
• they introduce the algorithm for obtaining the desired result (problem → effort → solution);
• form logical thinking;
• they broaden their horizons, introduce a variety of colors, shapes, sizes of objects of the surrounding world;
• they teach native and foreign languages;
• stimulate creative, non-standard thinking.

There are a lot of advantages, as you can see. Therefore, the answer to the question "Is it possible for children to watch cartoons?" will be in the affirmative. But with an important caveat: you need to filter cartoons, as well as the rest of the children's content. 

The harm of cartoons for childrenWhat cartoons can not be watched by children:

with elements of cruelty, when the plot is full of aggression, fights and even murders of characters;

• with a wrong interpretation of the concepts of good and evil. For example, when a negative hero appears to be good and vice versa. As well as plots where the main villain avoids responsibility for his actions;
• with an oversaturated visual range: loud sounds and often changing bright images overload the child's psyche.

If you do not control the quantity and quality of cartoons that a child watches, he may have:Aggressive behavior.

• After watching the cartoon, the kid may want to hit someone, break something — that is, actually repeat the actions of cartoon characters. Scenes of violence do not pass without a trace: they cause shock, unwanted emotional experiences. 
• Nervous tension. Especially if you watch a dynamic cartoon in the evening. The child gets tired during the day, so before going to bed he needs some quiet activity (reading a book, listening to an audio fairy tale, his mother's lullaby). A cartoon with running around, flashes of light and loud sounds will excite the nervous system of the baby, he will not fall asleep, he will be nervous. As a result, the regime will go wrong, which will negatively affect daily activity.
• Isolation. Watching cartoons is a passive activity that does not require any effort. At the same time, our brain is designed in such a way that out of two types of activity it chooses the one that is easier. Accordingly, a child who watches cartoons for too long and often will give preference to them, rather than communicating with friends or parents. As a result, he may have problems with socialization and building friendships.
• The distortion of the picture of the world. Fantasy plots of cartoons form children's misconceptions about the world around them. And then the question arises — what will they believe in, what will they focus on? Fiction is always brighter than reality, but is it worth living in fantasies? Such disorientation in a child can lead to unpredictable consequences ranging from behavioral disorders and ending with an incorrect assessment of oneself, one's capabilities and personality qualities.

Also read: Why a child beats his parents The negative impact of cartoons on children's speech 

The words that the child hears from the TV do not stimulate the desire to communicate.

Only live speech can do this. It is she who lays in the children's brain the most valuable neural connections that form the skill of verbal communication.

If a child interacts only with a TV or tablet, he has a communication deficit — a condition that slows down speech development.

And in this aspect, the greatest harm of cartoons is manifested for children under 3 years old (the age when the speech apparatus is most actively formed).

Moreover, the speech speed of cartoon characters is often higher than that of humans. Trying to imitate the characters, the kid will probably get confused and nervous. He will not be able to copy voices and intonations, express himself as eloquently as the characters do. He needs to communicate with peers who speak about the same as he does.

And more. Many cartoons cannot boast of lexical diversity: short, overly emotional, fragmentary phrases are not a very good role model. Their meaning is complemented by actions and facial expressions, which are not always captured and correctly interpreted by young children. It is better for them to hear meaningful, complete and correctly constructed sentences. This is the only way to form a coherent speech skill.

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Is it possible to watch cartoons for children under one year old

Toddlers are usually very inquisitive.

They willingly observe everything bright, colorful and unusual. Even infants who are still unable to grasp the meaning of what is happening on the screen are watching cartoons with interest. But the object of their attention is the moving figures on the screen, not the plot twists and turns of the characters. What is the impact of cartoons on children under one year old — at an age when sensory perception of the surrounding world prevails?

According to research, watching cartoons by infants has extremely negative consequences. They block the development of certain areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for building neural circuits. Motor development is also disrupted, since the child is motionless in front of the screen. 

Another undesirable effect of watching cartoons at an early age is the emergence of addiction.

It may even get to the point that the baby will feel fine only next to the TV, on which something is constantly flashing and moving. Otherwise, he will not be able to eat, play with toys, or fall asleep. Because of this, the subject activity suffers, which is one of the main ones in this period. It will be impossible to attract a child with something other than a cartoon.

Therefore, thinking about how many months it is possible to watch cartoons for children, parents should understand that the baby is not ready for such entertainment either physiologically or mentally. It is better to postpone acquaintance with the world of animation until 3 years.

How to watch cartoons correctlyIn 2019, two questions were investigated at the Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University: at what age children can watch cartoons and what is their impact on the child's psyche.

As a result, scientists have compiled recommendations for parents:

• always review the cartoons yourself before showing them to children;
• the main character of the cartoon should be positive;
• analyze not only the plot as a whole, but also individual scenes — are there any cruelty and other undesirable passages that you would not like to show to a child;
• children from 3 to 7 years old are not recommended to watch cartoons for more than 30 minutes a day;
• if the cartoon is full-length (lasts more than 1 hour), take pauses with a break of one day. This will increase interest in the plot and allow you to discuss the part viewed the day before, to draw substantive conclusions.;
• correlate the events on the screen with the age of the child — will he understand the vicissitudes and experiences of the main characters? If not, postpone the cartoon for a while; 
• if you notice that the child repeats the words and actions of negative characters, it is better to protect him from this content for now;
• do not use the TV as a babysitter if you need something to occupy the baby;
• check whether the child has formed an addiction to cartoons. This will be indicated by the need to watch them in the background (during games, eating, before going to bed). If this does happen, it is better to "break" the TV for a while.

_________

Are cartoons harmful to children? Are they of any use? Oddly enough, both questions can be answered in the affirmative. 

We advise parents to stick to the golden mean. Let children watch cartoons, but at the same time monitor age restrictions and viewing time, analyze plots, choose instructive and useful stories. June 2, 2021 2022-11-27 2021-06-02 Rate the article on a 5-point scale Did you like the article?