Why parents should keep an eye on what their children are watching

If children are scared while and after watching certain shows, it might mean that they should not be watching it. Photo: Freepik

Decades ago, cartoons were a source of kids' entertainment that they enjoyed before they were chased out by their mothers to go to the playground for some exercise.

Saturday morning animations were also something children looked forward to after a week of schooling. Video games were basic, plugged on to televisions and featured mostly obstacle courses.

But the advent of technology, infiltration of the Internet and availability of streaming services have made animations, games (and other online content) accessible to children, 24 hours a day, both while they are at home or on the move.

The contents too, have evolved. On top of the usual made-for-kids storylines, animation series, especially on YouTube, may look childish in form, but could be sinister in their messaging.

Some of these series feature scary-looking characters like human-headed toilets, or a monstrous feline creature cloaked in purple fur that was a result of an experiment that went awry. Video games too, may have content that are unsuitable for kids who play them.

While these might not be harmful to adults (who can differentiate what's real and what's fictional), psychologists fear that when young children watch scary, violent or gory content, they are likely to be impacted on physical, emotional, behavioural and even spiritual levels.

In a study conducted by Malaysian and Indonesian researchers on the impact of watching horror movies among Indonesian children aged between 10 and 17, it found that watching horror films "can have a negative impact on children's mental health".

Published in Atlantis Press – an online open-access publisher for scientific, technical and medical content – the researchers note that children can experience various emotional disturbances including fear, anxiety and fear of events that may not happen.

"These emotional disturbances can affect a child's mental health, and can lead to problems such as insomnia, eating disorders or behaviour problems," it says.

Sunway Medical Centre clinical psychologist Evelyn Ngui Ailing says physically, children may find their sleep affected after being overstimulated by certain content.

Ngui says children may find that their sleep is affected after being overstimulated by the content that they watch. Photo: Sunway Medical Centre

"Their cognitive pathways may also be compromised as their logic and rationale are still underdeveloped, and power and aggression are used to solve problems," she adds.

More worryingly, Ngui says, prolonged exposure makes children desensitised to violent content.

"Storylines these days portray more gore and violence to keep the audience (in this case, children) hooked. It may be harder then, to teach gentle emotions like kindness and empathy to children when they are more attuned to extreme emotions," she adds.

"Kids watch television shows or content as they learn about the world around them. Behaviourally, children will imitate these 'heroes' and scenes they watch on shows as short as 10 minutes.

"And if they watch violent content, they are likely to model violent or aggressive behaviour, and they will find it difficult to control these impulses due to their lower inhibitory capabilities," she says.

Parental control

Sales manager Gahyatthri Pandian, 41, says she is aware that not all supposedly kids' content online and on TV are suitable for young children.

"Not all cartoons are okay for kids to watch. There are some shows on streaming platforms that are rated for kids aged seven and up, but when I watch them, I think that these shows are more suitable for teenagers, not young children.

"While the message may come across as positive, the language may not be suitable for kids. There are also many cartoons where the content and themes are mature. "The language used is also strong and some cartoons' storylines are not suitable for Asian children's cognitive and emotional maturity," she says.

Gahyatthri (second from left) with her children (from left) Aryan, Dhiya and Leviniaa. Photo: Gahyatthri Pandian

In a 2017 study published in Cognitive Development in Digital Contexts, researchers underline the importance of keeping tabs on what kids watch online and on TV. "Parental mediation can impact what content a child is exposed to and how they use the technology," the study says.

Gahyatthri has three kids: Leviniaa Jesllyn, 11, Dhiya Ashllyn, eight, and Aryan Rylan, six, and she says she watches TV and the Internet with them so she knows what they watch.

"I know their favourite cartoons but I also have come across content which I feel is inappropriate for their age which come up on their feed, especially on YouTube," she adds. "When this happens, I will explain to them why certain shows are unsuitable."

Home baker Thangam Chellam, 45, says she used to monitor what her children – Ashwinaa, 18, and Devhesh, 15, – watched when they were younger.

"I needed to see what they were watching so that they didn't watch something that was not for their age. They watched a lot of cartoons when they were kids: Devhesh was into sports-themed cartoons and Ashwinaa, although she did not watch much television, loved watching anime."

Thangam says she knows that there are unsuitable content that kids watch.

"I don't remember the titles of the shows but I really disliked some cartoons with inappropriate language. I feel like those cartoons are not kid-friendly. I also did not approve of cartoons with too much violence, particularly ones that involved bullying and hitting other characters."

Thangam (second from left) with her husband, Sivakumar Masalamani and their children Devhesh (left) and Ashwinaa (right). Photo: Thangam Chellam

Filtering content

Ngui says parents should have a good idea about what online content a child should watch, either through word of mouth, social media or by going through the exact content their child watches.

A good rule of thumb is through the MEOW acronym – which stands for Message, Emotion, Outcome and Wisdom. (Refer to infographic)

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"Generally, I recommend that parents keep their children away from online content, gadgets, or television programmes before the age of three to ensure adequate brain development and psychological well-being."

Ngui says it's not only cartoons and online content that parents need to filter. News items with gory scenes (like war or natural disasters) are also unsuitable for children.

"I strongly believe that the beauty and innocence of childhood should be maintained for as long as possible. There will be a time when your child will hear about, read or see violence in the course of their lives, and children's brains still find it difficult to differentiate between what is real and what is portrayed on screen," she says.

If children need to be educated about a major catastrophic event, Ngui says, parental guidance is crucial to teach them ways of finding physical and psychological safety as part of the education.

"Parents can teach children how fear shows up physically in the body (fast heart rate or sweating palms) and how to manage fear (breathing slowly, reaching out for parents for a hug and telling someone they trust about it).

Co-watching with kids

Gahyatthri says watching TV and the Internet with her kids helps her to be aware of what they are watching.

"After watching a show, my kids and I often discuss it and I would ask them their views on the storyline," she says. "It's also a good way to bond."

Thangam does the same thing because "it is nice to watch cartoons even at my age. I particularly like watching classic Disney cartoons and animated films with my kids."

What these mothers do is in line with Ngui's advice: To always keep an eye on what your child watches online.

"They are smarter than you think, and to hop between tabs on a (tablet) is a matter of a swipe and a tenth-of-a-second. Use parental controls for all

devices, regularly screen the content they enjoy, and earn enough brownie points in your parent-child relationship that your child will trust any decision you make about safe versus unhelpful content," she adds.

In a 2018 study conducted by researchers in Kenya on the need for parents to watch animations with children aged seven to 11 years old, researchers found that cartoons "affect the perceptions and attitudes that are being reinforced in children" and this in turn "constructs their worldview and also their self-worth".

Additionally, Ngui says parents can also introduce content with beneficial (and fun) values for children.

"Take the initiative to talk about good content that your child can learn from before they get exposed to the full selection online. Talk regularly about the values that your family believes in so that your child learns to make good choices when it comes to content consumption.

"In the end, as parents, you don't want to impose your say, but you want to equip them with enough skills so they can make their own decisions," she adds.

Gahyatthri says parents should monitor what their children watch.

"The first reason is safety; it is becoming very evident that social media has a strong impact on the current young generation. Children are easily influenced by what they see, especially when there is no one to guide them.

"It is important to help our children navigate the online world safely and responsibly," she says.

Thangam also says parents should monitor the contents their kids consume online.

"There's a lot of unsuitable content which are not for kids. You really need to see what your kids watch," she adds.

Managing the tide of information

With the advancement of technology and easy access, it will be difficult to control the tide of information children consume.

However, Ngui says the good news is that if parents are present in their children's life journey, they will look to their parents for guidance.

"Model how you consume and manage digital content so kids will employ precautionary measures to be wise consumers," she says.

When it comes to watching movies, Ngui adds, parents should take age rating seriously.

"Parents should take age rating even more seriously than age raters. Always do due diligence by asking other parents, seeking online reviews and previewing the trailers for movies before exposing your child to the full version," she says.

"Online literature is undecided if children are capable of handling horror movies even at the pre-teen age (10 to 13 years old). Hence, parents are in the best position to judge if their child is ready to watch horror movies," she concludes.