interesting topic: children's entertainment

[a dalek]

hello again ed
I was just watching friends and it got me to thinking about when I was younger and how I'd watch it with my older brother.
then I got thinking about how mature of a show it actually is and I couldn't help but think that a lot of people's parents wouldn't have allowed them to watch the show because of this.
so I was wondering what are your opinions on what children should and shouldn't watch?
should we shield them from things like sex and violence, or should we find a way to integrate it into something like television that they'd feel comfortable with and allow them to learn from it?
I know a lot of people think that sex isn't an appropriate subject for children--if you think this then could you explain why you think so?

[Jacque De Molay]

We should show children just how the world works so they have no problems interacting with it.

[False Dichotomy]

Parents should be explaining the world for their child before TV and Public school teaches it first.

This whole aversion to talking to your children about sex baffles me. They're going to find out about it EVENTUALLY. It might as well be before they hit 4th grade, when that one kid smuggles porn into class.

[a dalek]

False Dichotomy

Parents should be explaining the world for their child before TV and Public school teaches it first.

This whole aversion to talking to your children about sex baffles me. They're going to find out about it EVENTUALLY. It might as well be before they hit 4th grade, when that one kid smuggles porn into class.

why does it have to be from their parents, though? information is information, it doesn't matter where it's coming from.

[ACRESONMYHOES]

I think an important aspect of being a parent is digesting very mature media that your child wouldn't even get in the first place, and teaching them the lessons you learn from that process.

If the kid can tell you what the show was about, and they're not disturbed by the images, I see no reason why they shouldn't watch it, unless you don't want them to have to deal with the subjects at all.

[ACRESONMYHOES]

prof-whoriarty

False Dichotomy

Parents should be explaining the world for their child before TV and Public school teaches it first.

This whole aversion to talking to your children about sex baffles me. They're going to find out about it EVENTUALLY. It might as well be before they hit 4th grade, when that one kid smuggles porn into class.

why does it have to be from their parents, though? information is information, it doesn't matter where it's coming from.

Oh ******** cuntsnatching hellrape it does. A parent knows (or should know) when a child has misunderstood something, potentially in a way that could harm them later on by their basing their activities on faulty information. And a child implicitly (typically) trusts their parents, and many of the things learned from them are permanently imprinted on the child in a way that is intentionally (evolutionaitly) superior (heirarchy of values-wise) to most other sources of learning.

[False Dichotomy]

prof-whoriarty

False Dichotomy

Parents should be explaining the world for their child before TV and Public school teaches it first.

This whole aversion to talking to your children about sex baffles me. They're going to find out about it EVENTUALLY. It might as well be before they hit 4th grade, when that one kid smuggles porn into class.

why does it have to be from their parents, though? information is information, it doesn't matter where it's coming from.

Because parents should be parenting their children.

[x-Garethp-x]

I believe there's not too much mature content children should be restricted from. Sex scenes maybe. The thing is, there's so much kids don't know that they won't even pick up on it. For example, I used to watch Card Captor Sakura. In the show a little girl dresses up in random costumes made by her best friend, who is in love with her. Her best friends mother is also in love with her. I never picked up on that, because... well, I was a kid

[a dalek]

x-Garethp-x

I believe there's not too much mature content children should be restricted from. Sex scenes maybe. The thing is, there's so much kids don't know that they won't even pick up on it. For example, I used to watch Card Captor Sakura. In the show a little girl dresses up in random costumes made by her best friend, who is in love with her. Her best friends mother is also in love with her. I never picked up on that, because... well, I was a kid

why should sex scenes "maybe" be restricted, though?

[x-Garethp-x]

prof-whoriarty

x-Garethp-x

I believe there's not too much mature content children should be restricted from. Sex scenes maybe. The thing is, there's so much kids don't know that they won't even pick up on it. For example, I used to watch Card Captor Sakura. In the show a little girl dresses up in random costumes made by her best friend, who is in love with her. Her best friends mother is also in love with her. I never picked up on that, because... well, I was a kid

why should sex scenes "maybe" be restricted, though?

I say maybe because I'm not sure on how sex affects kids of a young age. Most mature stuff on TV is subtle or obscure enough that it'll just go right over kids heads, sex not so much. And I'm not an expert of child behaviour and psychology, so I can't comment on that in particular

[marshmallowcreampie]

ACRESONMYHOES

I think an important aspect of being a parent is digesting very mature media that your child wouldn't even get in the first place, and teaching them the lessons you learn from that process.

If the kid can tell you what the show was about, and they're not disturbed by the images, I see no reason why they shouldn't watch it, unless you don't want them to have to deal with the subjects at all.

Pretty much this. I watched "King of the Hill" all the time when I was a kid and didn't get most of the adult jokes. (if the episode was getting too adult, my parents turned it off) Only when I got older did I get the jokes. A few years ago, I watched "Shrek" for the first time since I was a kid and I finally understood the joke about Lord Farquaad using a big castle to "compensate for something". When I was a kid, I just assumed they were joking about him being short, but noooow I get it. cat_cool

[marshmallowcreampie]

prof-whoriarty

x-Garethp-x

I believe there's not too much mature content children should be restricted from. Sex scenes maybe. The thing is, there's so much kids don't know that they won't even pick up on it. For example, I used to watch Card Captor Sakura. In the show a little girl dresses up in random costumes made by her best friend, who is in love with her. Her best friends mother is also in love with her. I never picked up on that, because... well, I was a kid

why should sex scenes "maybe" be restricted, though?

Because kids have a tendency to copy what they see on TV if what they see doesn't appear to be harmful or inappropriate.

[a dalek]

marshmallowcreampie

prof-whoriarty

x-Garethp-x

I believe there's not too much mature content children should be restricted from. Sex scenes maybe. The thing is, there's so much kids don't know that they won't even pick up on it. For example, I used to watch Card Captor Sakura. In the show a little girl dresses up in random costumes made by her best friend, who is in love with her. Her best friends mother is also in love with her. I never picked up on that, because... well, I was a kid

why should sex scenes "maybe" be restricted, though?

Because kids have a tendency to copy what they see on TV if what they see doesn't appear to be harmful or inappropriate.

that is a complete urban myth and complete bs
I watched ed, edd and eddy when I was younger and I didn't start scamming people
I watched south park when I was younger (as did a lot of the people I know) and we didn't go around flipping people off or spewing cuss words

I'm not saying that parents shouldn't have any part in their kids learning things like this, but I do believe that it makes the learning process a lot more comfortable for both the child and the parent if they see it on the television and then the adult simply explains what the child was watching to them.

and for the record, I find the fact that most people are more comfortable with children watching violence than sex incredibly disturbing

[Suicidesoldier#1]

prof-whoriarty

marshmallowcreampie

prof-whoriarty

x-Garethp-x

I believe there's not too much mature content children should be restricted from. Sex scenes maybe. The thing is, there's so much kids don't know that they won't even pick up on it. For example, I used to watch Card Captor Sakura. In the show a little girl dresses up in random costumes made by her best friend, who is in love with her. Her best friends mother is also in love with her. I never picked up on that, because... well, I was a kid

why should sex scenes "maybe" be restricted, though?

Because kids have a tendency to copy what they see on TV if what they see doesn't appear to be harmful or inappropriate.

that is a complete urban myth and complete bs
I watched ed, edd and eddy when I was younger and I didn't start scamming people
I watched south park when I was younger (as did a lot of the people I know) and we didn't go around flipping people off or spewing cuss words

I'm not saying that parents shouldn't have any part in their kids learning things like this, but I do believe that it makes the learning process a lot more comfortable for both the child and the parent if they see it on the television and then the adult simply explains what the child was watching to them.

and for the record, I find the fact that most people are more comfortable with children watching violence than sex incredibly disturbing

Cartoon violence is different, though.

A person that punches someone in self defense (presumably not killing them, an even better than real life lesson) can be seen as admirable while gratuitous amount of porny sex really has no value or life lesson for a child.