Is it child abuse to have so much media directed at children?

[deleted]

#cancelchildren

I think kids are wildly underestimated. Getting them hooked on fluff is counterproductive for development.

I loved cartoons when I was a kid, but even at a young age I had far more enjoyment watching stuff like Northern Exposure, Picket Fences, Frasier, or movies that expanded my taste like Sommersby, Thoroughly Modern Millie, which I should see again... Movies that I didn't choose, or came across, and hooked me.

I remember Transformers and GI Joe because of the toys, I can barely recall anything about the cartoons (other than the two animated movies, which I have seen in adulthood as well... Transformers movie is hardcore!). But I remember entire episodes and many quotes from Northern Exposure.

The best example of the child estimation debacle is violent, R-rated movies considered to be for adults, like Alien and Aliens and Terminator and Terminator 2 and Predator and Robocop and ETC, all of which appeal VERY strongly to children, including the violence, and ALL of which had toys on the shelves marketed to kids.

Even cartoons... Aliens and Robocop were both cartoons for a short time, IIRC. All have video games as well.

When GTAIII came out and everyone went crazy with rating games Mature, all I could think about was this dichotomy, wondering why the fantasy violence that kids obviously love, which is even sold to them as a toy, was being seen as suddenly improper for kids to play. WHAT? It's a game, kids play games. Kids know it's a game if they're old enough and/or smart enough to actually play it and comprehend it.

I don't think anything should be rated. It's meaningless now. Oh you want to keep kids from watching an R-rated movie with some sexual scenes? Well, the kids who want to see it and know it's being held back, they will just go to a porn site and click the button that says I AM 18!

So it can be seen as bad for all, and yet it seems like every year movies
and TV are getting more are more unrealistic and mentally and critically
simpler.

Thats because the majority of adults these days seem to want to watch movie versions of childrens picture books about men in stupid costumes with a variety of stupid magic powers .

I've posted plenty of times in the past lamenting the fact that our society is becoming increasingly dumbed-down and lazy. The saddest thing is that this is voluntary. The media, especially the social media, is largely to blame. Our civilization is headed for its downfall because of many factors, including:
• loss of communication skills: phone zombies stumbling around in their own little worlds, not making eye contact; too much emphasis on texting and phone apps; everything is becoming more impersonal.
• instant gratification: there is less emphasis on taking pride in a job well done... everything is expected to be done for you; zero or minimal effort involved with immediate results expected; increasing lack of patience.
• an increasingly polarized society: common or middle ground is shrinking.

I don't what it's going to take to turn things around.