Protection or Preparation?

The last few classes have been making some major impacts on the way I think about children's media and IM LOVING IT.

Something that I really think is interesting is just in general the relationship between children and adults and how it is changing. I read a few other blogs that were posted today and agree that parents are becoming more and more overprotective of their kids, and they aren't giving them enough credit. It's so true, though, if you think about it. First of all, generations of kids today have a lot more to be wary of, if that makes sense. There's some super creepy people out there, and a lot of really horrible things that are happening all over the world every day, and the media shows everything. There's no boundaries these days, and I can see why parents are afraid of exposing their kids to a lot of it. I see it even in myself that as I get older, I watch out for things that my little sister watches, and it infuriates her. She's thirteen, but sometimes I'll watch a movie with my friends that when she asks if she can watch it too, I'm like aww heck no. It makes me feel like an old person, but as I get older it's almost some kind of instinct to shield her from the grossness of some media. I think this instinct is something a lot of people, including myself, need to control a little better, or else they'll be unprepared for the world we live in today.  I feel that kids need to see some of the things that the real world have or else it could just end up being a harsh reality for them in the future. I know for me, there were some major topics that I was completely oblivious of until middle school, while other kids were completely knowledgable of them. I think parents have a task of raising their children to be world-ready, and if our world is as tainted as it is, they should be prepared for it. Along with that, I think some parents don't think about all of the things that kids do actually think about and comprehend. There's a lot of smart kids out there who understand good and evil and can take in a lot more than one would think. They can handle the mind-numbing cartoons, as well as the things on the news afterwards. I think it's important that we help kids understand the impact that they have and the impact that other things have on them, like in T.V. Tango. It's a perfect example of showing kids, and adults, even, of the impact of kids' imagination and how television effects them. And with Duel. It puts the idea of censorship and how adults are so controlling of kids, when kids are people too, and need to understand. Not like they need to know of everything that's going on, but I think that they shouldn't be hidden from the world. Things just need to be explained to them on a level that's safe and comprehendible for them.

Okay so this got a little confusing so hopefully whoever is reading this kind of understood where I was coming from! You're awesome.