Cartoons have been an eternal part of our lives. No matter how old we are, we are always attracted to cartoons more than any other media. As they say that education has no age limit, the same goes for cartoons as well. No kid in this world has grown without them as they are an inevitable part of our lives. They have made our lives fun and entertaining.

If we look into the meaning, Wikipedia defines cartoon as “a type of illustration, sometimes animated, typically in a non-realistic or semi-realistic style.” But cartoons are not just about animation, illustration, and drawings. Even though its meaning has evolved, it remains a form of expression. Apart from entertainment, cartoons are the most exciting and fun way of conveying information, and they have an everlasting impact on people, mainly kids. I started having spinach because Popeye, the sailor man, ate it to get healthy and beat the bad guys.

With the change in time, the viewership of cartoons has changed too. Television channels like cartoon network, pogo, etc. have lost their viewership as people have now shifted to a better platform.

With the advent of online media and OTT platforms, a massive part of the population has shifted to these platforms for their daily dose of entertainment. First movies then series and now cartoons. Most of these online platforms like Netflix, prime video, etc. have dedicated whole different sections for kids. Not to forget YouTube, with every cartoon from the old days to the new ones. There’s no doubt that online media has made reach and access to any content easier.

When it comes to cartoons, we always worry about their impact on kids because they love watching cartoons, and they can watch them all day long. As said above, the cartoons leave an everlasting impression on people. Let’s see how this change of platform has led to the difference in the impact of cartoons.

PROS of watching cartoon online:

Watching cartoons on online platforms gives the benefits of both the elements, i.e., online platforms and cartoons. Let’s enlist them:

Convey positive messages:

As mentioned above in the article, cartoons are not mere drawings and illustrations but are a form of expression. Cartoons have been seen as an effective way to convey good and positive messages to kids. They have a strong influence on kids, and they seem to follow and copy what the cartoon character does, hence cartoons are used as a constructive way to share values among kids. This way you can imbibe good values and teach your children valuable lessons. Online media has added to this impact as it gives the viewer a private space to watch cartoons either on mobile or laptop. Online media gives anytime access to the cartoons hence anytime access to ethical values for kids.

Help in language and speaking:

cartoons are what a kid grows up watching. A kid might not have parents around all the time to talk to them, but cartoons are always there. Kids learn words and speak those words early that they hear around them. With anytime access to cartoons through online platforms, the kid’s environment is surrounded or filled with words and statements that they attempt to imitate. Hence it helps a child to grow his/her speaking skills. Cartoons also are an effective medium for kids to improve their pronunciation, vocabulary, and learn new words.

Improves memory, narrative skills, and attention span:

Various studies have revealed that narrative and non-narrative cartoons can develop moral reasoning, sequential skills, and values in children. Watching cartoons online also improves the attentiveness of kids as they can watch cartoons more attentively on phones and laptops than on television. Kids do not get easily distracted and are more attentive to an online medium.

Enhances creativity and skills:

Cartoons enhance children’s creativity and imagination. Kids are keen on the stories narrated via cartoons; hence they try to get creative and give their input to the stories. They imagine new stories with the same cartoon character that they like. With easy access to these cartoons via online media, kids also get to learn about technology and technical features of the devices in the early stage, which brings us to the next point;

Early learning for kids:

Cartoons and online platforms and devices together provide kids with the skills and knowledge that they get at early ages comparatively.

21st-century kids and toddlers know more about mobile phones and other devices than their parents. Other than that, kids also get to learn about educational material like shapes, colours, animals, etc. before they even start going to schools. Cartoons have made learning an enjoyable activity. For example, a cartoon representation of the alphabetical poem ” A B C D” is the primary way for most kids to learn the alphabet.

CONS of watching cartoon online:

Addiction to online cartoons:

The easy access to cartoons due to the online platforms has severely impacted the lifestyle of kids. Nowadays, a child demands a phone and YouTube with cartoons on it to do every little thing, be it eating, sleeping, or bathing. When their wish is not fulfilled, they hide after tears and screams, which makes every parent give in to stop their kid from crying.

Adverse health impact:

With 24 hours reach of a kid to cartoons, they don’t tend to leave the mobile device at any point. Hence it exposes them to various health problems. Massive screen time weakens their eyesight, and as a result, kids end up with spectacles at an early age. It makes them lazy and moody as they do not want to move much. They choose cartoons over playing out in the park, which affects their physical strength as well.

It makes them unsocial:

As they get deeply involved in the cartoons and with the private space provided to them by the online media, kids mostly seem to be lost in their world. Their lives revolve around the cartoon and its characters only. Hence that’s all they talk about. It curbs their communication skills. As kids end up spending their day on phones watching cartoons, they are not aware of their environment and surroundings. Their wish to explore somehow dies.

It attracts them towards violence:

Mostly, every cartoon show shows chasing, fighting, hitting, and beating, hence it promotes violent behaviour in kids as they try to imitate it. Cartoons make the pain and suffering funny, and kids seem to think it doesn’t hurt anybody if they get hit. They also get attracted to violent games influenced by the violence in cartoons. As kids are more knowledgeable about online media, they are also capable of choosing what kind of cartoon they wish to see; hence it becomes an alarming situation if parents do not overlook their activities.

It encourages foul language:

As one of the pros says that cartoons help in learning and speaking words, it can be an issue when it comes to wrong and offensive words. Cartoons often use language and phrases that are unfit and inappropriate for kids. But they leave an impression; hence children can end up learning the wrong language.

Cartoons are a world within themselves but, you can use these things to teach your kids what you want. For many more tips and tricks go right here. We hope you enjoyed this article.