The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / Kids TV needs a throwback makeover, too

Kids TV needs a throwback makeover, too

February 27, 2013 by Optimist Editorial Board

Television has become a vital part to many people’s lives. Adults and children alike spend a lot of their time sitting in front of a screen.

The amount of television that our generation consumes keeps going up, but the quality of the television that is aired on the networks is going down.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids spend more than seven hours a day watching TV, playing on computers, cell phones and other media. Preschoolers are believed to be in front of a television for more than 32 hours a week.

What children watch now does not compare to the television shows we used to watch when we were kids.

Tv shows such as Sesame Street, The Magic School Bus, Liberty Lids, Cyberchase and even Blue’s Clues were cartoons that were entertaining but at the same time they were educational.

We also spent many Saturday mornings anticipating the antics of Tom and Jerry, Looney Toons, Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs and Hey Arnold. They were all shows that did not necessarily have educational meaning, but were interesting, well-made and enjoyable classics.

When we turn on Cartoon Netowrk or Nickelodeon today, cartoons especially are not as “family friendly” as they used to be. Some cartoons are inappropriate and many others are just stupid.

The Regular Show and Adventure Time are two shows from this generation that are popular today yet are not very appropriate for children. Though the shows are rated “PG”, they contain inappropriate language, sexual content and inappropriate humor.

What happened to shows that had some sort of substance?

The Parents Television Council did an analysis of more than 100 episodes of programs on Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Nick at Night and Adult Swim. They found over 1,500 incidents of explicit sex, drugs and offensive language.

Back in the heyday of Yogi Bear, the Flintstones and Bugs Bunny, parents did not have to worry about what their children watched. They knew cartoons were usually safe, though sometimes comically violent.

In our childhood, parents could feel moderately comfortable about us watching Recess and Doug (Spongebob, however, was another story).

When you turn on a TV now, you realize cartoons of this generation do not compare to the ones that we used to watch as kids. They are far more crude, lame and have no overall substance.

Let’s go back to the days of Rugrats and Arthur.

Filed Under: Editorials Tagged With: Entertainment

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Optimist Editorial Board

You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / Kids TV needs a throwback makeover, too

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved