The Downfall of Children's Entertainment

[@lavenderbookco]

I want to know everyone’s thoughts! Especially my fellow millennials, are you surprised by the dramatic shift even from when we were kids??

[@MarthVaderxvida]

When the Dr. mentioned that some parents say that Cocomelon helps their kids, I wonder if this means that their kids "calm down"? I knew someone in the 90's who used cartoons on VHS as a babysitter and they thought it was an amazing way to keep their kid calm. That dopamine hit paired with lack of attachment in childhood raised such huge concerns about kids' brain development, education, and social skills. Thank for brining up this topic!

[@lavenderbookco]

Yes great catch!! I think a lot of people today have either knowingly or unknowingly created a “babysitter” from the tv, tablet, etc. It is so normal for kids to have energy! It weird to see them as zombies

[@lavenderbookco]

@ I included a clip from a Dr.

[@redmaple1982]

Cocomellon is just UGLY to look at. I dont know why people are ok with subjecting kids to something so horrible to look at.

[@Shizukanexen]

Complain about this to people all the time. My family says "It's a kids show of course it's not good" and I really hate that attitude because when I was growing up they did not feed me drivel.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@Shizukanexen I agree with your perspective. I don’t think it’s fair to take advantage of kids simply because of the age they happen to be.

[@jamesdurtka2709]

There is *absolutely* a difference - some of that content is rewatchable/rereadable and at least vaguely enjoyable (or at least not downright an assault on the senses) as an adult. Kids content on KZbin looks like half-baked content mill crap that's more about spectacle/entertainment than any kind of educational value. And that's just what we've seen in the last few years - imagine what it's going to look like when AI begins to take over as the dominant way to produce this crap!

[@juliannebartlett4841]

The decline in children's toys and television is something that goes very hand in hand. Television shows characters are designed specifically to translate well into toy design, using bright eye catching colors and simple enough designs that are great for cheap mass productions. Of course, good shows and toys still exist, but just look at things like play line barbies from today vs 20 or even 10 years ago.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@juliannebartlett4841 yes you get EXACTLY what I’m saying I totally agree

[@LadyDragonbane]

It's crazy that people latch on to the Sad Beige aesthetic that doesn't stimulate children at all (or at least not enough), yet overstimulate them with Cocomelon! I wonder if there's a correlation between the two.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@LadyDragonbane there’s definitely a happy medium. Color is important for a child’s development. I think the highly saturated colors coupled with everything else is what causes the issues (like with Cocomelon). I agree the beige stuff is a hindrance too for children

[@mynameisreallycool1]

The real world (their house mainly) is so unstimulating for them and the only color they see is in their tablet. It's like the perfect way to manipulate kids into staying on their screens even more. I wonder if some parents do this on purpose so the kids don't eventually get bored from their tablet and start acting like a normal kid.

[@kyoyameganebereznoff]

I feel like there’s also more good children’s entertainment than ever before: Bluey, Craig of the Creek, Steven Universe, Wild Robot, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Lines on Nana’s Face, Wings of Fire, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, Julia and the Shark, the 5 Worlds series, not to mention the good older stuff that is still available. There are so many more stories that take their child audiences seriously and explain complex subjects in ways that kids can understand. There are more stories that acknowledge the emotional complexity of children and the confusion that kids must face when growing up. 70 years ago, most children’s books were pictures books, a handful of classics, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys, and cheap, pulpy comics. So many eighties cartoons were just bad and only meant to sell toys. There has always been junk and there is certainly A LOT more of it now, especially online, but to say that children’s media is experiencing a downfall ignores a lot of the progress we’ve made and the wonderful recent stories that cover complex topics and explore emotional development. It’s also about variety. Sometimes it can be fun and cathartic for a kid to just read something that’s just silly! A lot of the silly/not as educational stuff I watched/read a kid still inspired imaginative, unstructured play in my backyard or inspired me to be brave or to be more kind. It’s definitely worth discussing what is junk and not, and what kinds of junk are okay for occasional consumption, but there is still a lot of good stuff out there!

[@nyanuwu4209]

No Adventure Time, no Amphibia, Gravity Falls, The Owl House? Boooo. :p

[@lavenderbookco]

@@kyoyameganebereznoff absolutely I even mention moderation in the video and all over my social medias. I think it comes down to what parents are looking for personally and this might look different from family to family!

[@maiapawley8757]

While I somewhat agree with your point, one thing I want to mention is that not as many children are being exposed to these "good" properties as is probably ideal. Did you know that Steven Universe and Craig of the Creek (as well as hordes of other Cartoon Network classics) are being removed from HBO Max, the primary streaming home for Cartoon Network. It's actually part of the greater crisis in animation that is going on right now. Basically to save money at Warner Brothers, executives have removed almost an entire studios' worth of content to avoid paying the people who worked on those cartoons residuals. It's a whole mess in the animation industry right now and it's made it so that piracy is the only way to access some of this content. I don't imagine lots of children have access to pirating sites, so much of it isn't accessible to them. It's an issue with entertainment as a whole and how no one seems wiling to make the effort to reach children anymore. Also, personally, Steven Universe is about a decade old and I associate it more with my time than as something most kids today would know, but that's just me and my opinion. Also, there's a lot of properties in the second half of your list that I don't recognize. I'm not saying that makes them unworthy or not having enough of an impact on children today (I know I've had my fair share of niche books, games and shows that have been hugely important to my childhood, creating fond memories and inspiring me) just because something's big in your house doesn't mean it's big everywhere, and it's a good chance there's just not enough children out there reading these good book. Things like Bluey and Dreamworks' output are valuable because they're unifying experiences for kids today the same way Nickelodeon was for 90's kids. Just something to consider is all.

[@gemstone108]

@@maiapawley8757 Parents should be pirating those cartoons more for their kids, or finding them on DVD! I don’t like to associate certain cartoons with specific “times” because media can always be found. Kids will end up still finding Steven Universe and many other cartoons the way we found cartoons older than we were!

[@kyoyameganebereznoff]

⁠@@nyanuwu4209I think those are great, too; I just can’t include everything or I’d be here all day and my comment would become unreadable. I was also trying to cover a variety of mediums: books, TV, movies, etc.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

One of the reasons books in the US use a lot of repetition of words is that the US uses the (scientifically widely debunked) method of sightwords instead of phonics. Instead of sounding things out letter by letter, a kid is taught to see a glob or shape and read that glob as a word. This is 1., why you see US reading scores drop off a cliff the second pictures are taken away from them and they can't guess things from clues anymore and 2., why word repetition pops up so much more in books from the post-00's US than other countries who use phonics (the scientifically proven, objectively correct way to teach reading) for their kids. If your kid isn't going to learn t + a = ta and c + o = co and ta + co = taco, and are instead learning taco = taco, getting no hint about what the word is from the letters and instead just looking at a glob, then they need to see the glob over and over again until they can identify it on sight. This, of course, does not actually help children. It's holding kids back from learning to actually read in a meaningful way, and is why you see so much of Gen Z respond to even one paragraph with, "I ain't reading all that." But it shouldn't be surprising that this is where US kids' books ended up when this is what the US education system goes with. And now, to prevent the inevitable "I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't heard of sightwords so everything is fine in US education!" response, some sources: features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019/08/22/whats-wrong-how-schools-teach-reading nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cnb www.usatoday.com/story/sponsor-story/lexia-learning2022/2022/03/02/illiteracy-costing-america-heres-why/6848450001/

[@lavenderbookco]

@@morganqorishchi8181 ok I think you really hit a really important point here. We have been changing the way we are teaching kids certain subjects and it’s not for the better!! I think this is where parents can be aware and try to supplement at home. I have no idea why they change things that have been working for a long time.

[@Prescilla24]

In my experience, the schools in our part of the US use a combination of both phonics and sight words. Sight words are usually words that aren't spelled phonetically, like "does" or "one". And they also teach tricks like "magic e" for long vowel sounds.

[@nyanuwu4209]

I very clearly recall being taught by phonetics. 'Sound it out' and all that. When did this nonsense of _not_ doing that take hold? Miserable idea...

[@lavenderbookco]

@ it’s very possible that kids in different schools are taught in different programs. For example here in UT they teach the dreaded Common Core but not all states have adopted it

[@Hannah_Becton]

Yep. It varies state-by-state and school system by school system. Phonics used to be how you taught language in the US, but when Whole Language Learning (sightwords, as you mentioned) became the new hotness, many school systems made the switch. Now, I live in Alabama, and Alabama being Alabama, we never switched away from phonics instruction. 😂 Our backwards tendencies looped back around to make us the progressive ones in this instance, what with the “science of reading” (so back to good old phonics) now being pushed. On a further interesting note, I believe the school system of our largest city, Birmingham, does teach Whole Language? Point being, it varies. A lot.

[@maiapawley8757]

I'm gen Z, so probably younger than your target audience, but as someone who's just finished childhood, I find it crazy how dramatically things have changed in as little as five years, and as someone who grew up in the 2010's, I feel like I narrowly dodged a bullet. It is my opinion that the current state of childrens' media is absolutely unacceptable. It's not that there's nothing worthwhile for children. Shows like Bluey and Dreamworks's current output of animated movies are things that lots of kids watch that I think are good for them, but media like this, with so much thought put into them are increasingly being outnumbered by the garbage of things like KZbin kids or soulless reboots. It's extremely telling that no one seems to be able to spare a single original idea for children's entertainment. And it would be one thing if these reboots were thoughtful but there is very clearly only the bare minimum effort put into them and it's reflected in just how many children care about them. Have you ever seen a child out in the wild passionate about the new Bernie or Winnie the Pooh show? I gaurantee you that the answer is no, because these products have nothing for the children to latch onto. I could be wrong, but it's clear that no one behind the scenes gives a shit about whether children are learning or even entertained. It's just the safest bet on what will make them money. It's not even mental candy at this point, it's mental crack. And your points about both toys and books both stood out to me. Toys have really taken a nose-dive in recent years, and were admittedly starting to, even when I was a kid. Can you name a single toy line that's had major success with children in recent years? Maybe you can but I can't, and while I do think that things like increased competition from social media, tablets and KZbin does play a role, I think there's just not as much effort put into creating quality toys or even marketing them! I'm serious about that second point. I know it's harder without cable tv but I feel like there's little to no effort in making toys appealing for kids, so companies pivot to the adult market because it's easier. As for books, I didn't even notice it until this video, but you really won't see something like Where the Wild Things Are or Goodnight Moon on the shelves today, would you? It's all goofy unicorns and bright colors and surface level lessons. I know because these are the sorts of picture books my 7-year old siblings are reading. And don't even get me started on middle-grade. The last book series I remember blowing up were the crazes of my generation, things like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries. Kids today just straight up don't read anymore. Like at all. I have a 10 year old sister who just never reads. Not even things like graphic novels or "cool, low-effort" books like the aforementioned series that even excited reluctant readers. I remember I took my little siblings to the library to try and encourage the habit and I was the only one among us who opened their book more than once after we left. I think a part of the problem is, aside from the lack of effort, no one is even trying to reach kids anymore. Corporations saw that millennials (no offense, we gen z folk are pretty bad with this too, it's just that you were first :/) were stupid easy to market to with nostalgic products so they allowed themselves to throw up their hands and say, "Screw it! Why should we have to market to kids without their own disposable income when adults who aren't at the mercy of parents will instead?" This is even reflected in things like the remodels of McDonald's. What used to be a kid friendly space isn't anymore. You could say that it's good that children aren't being subject to predatory sugary cereals or fast-food, the things that are taking the place of things like Disney are things like TikTok, Sephora, Squid Game (just my experience, but lots of young children seemed to be into that show when it first aired) and other things that just aren't appropriate for them. There's just nothing out there for kids because no one cares to create anything for them. So the kids of today just don't have anything. Of course, we can show them the oldies (Hell knows I liked my classic Power Puff Girls and Strawberry Shortcake, despite not growing up in the 90's or 2000's) but it kind of (perhaps unreasonably) unsettles me that my 10-year-old sister's favorite show Miraculous Ladybug is nearly over a decade old at this point. I remember being excited for new episodes of things like The Amazing World of Gumball or the Loud House, things that were uniquely gen Z. Kids today don't have something unique to them and their experiences, at least not in the amount previous generations had. Like, my Mom and I each had our own version of My Little Pony we loved and watched, but the recent generation, the one meant for kids today relied so heavily on Friendship is Magic (my show) that it was utterly crippled creatively and ultimately bombed. It's like these hacks don't even see generation Alpha. It's why, like you, I've been feeling the need to take matters into my own hands. I always wanted to make animated cartoons, but now I feel that this work is more important than ever. I'm a film student right now, studying to do just that, so it's nice to see someone else who cares just as much about this issue as me. I really feel like a lot of people don't realize or care about how dire it is now. Anyway, sorry about ranting in your comments section, I'm just really passionate about this topic, lmao! Nice video and good luck on your writing endeavors! :)

[@gemstone108]

They still sell Where The Wild things are! I’ve seen it at Target and other stores displayed prominently. A lot of kids still read. It sucks that the ones you mentioned didn’t pick up graphic novels because so many of them are wonderful now! I know Dog Man is a very popular series now (even getting a movie next year) and Dav Pilkey has had consistent staying power between both Gen Z and Gen Alpha. As for reboots, yeah, a lot of them are mainly for cash but I’d argue that one really good one right now is actually the new Fairly Odd Parents! It’s probably even a better version of that show for kids to grow up on than the original because there isn’t as much malice present and the storylines are actually very fun and often sweet! I would try taking them to the library again and look even harder. Find some good kidlit artists on social media and look up their work! Have hope!

[@lavenderbookco]

@@maiapawley8757 oh my gosh I appreciate your entire comment!!! I completely agree with every point you made, especially about us millennials starting it. Thankfully now I think people are starting to see it and more importantly seeing the results of everything. I just loved everything you said, it was all very well put 🙌🏼

[@Senianar]

​@@lavenderbookco Here is another one that dodged the bullet (I'm 26). Thankfully this isn't as bad here in Finland 🇫🇮 but I have seen change here as well. (Of course we have a lot of those same cartoons like in the USA but translated versions of them.) My problem with todays cartoons is that there isn't as much drama or darker subjects like before. Like for example in first Land Before Time and Moomins had also heavier subjects like loosing someone, handling negative thoughts or a bit of fear. Like I shed a tear as a kid when Little Paw lost his mom. It wasn't a bad thing that I felt sadness in that moment. It was heart touching. Today everything just seems lame, simplified and bad storytelling is hidden under the over saturated color frosting. They treat childrens like dummies. I'm disgusted as "free artist" myself! Like before some of those cartoon scenes could have bee used as paintings on the wall🖼️. So beautiful they were. Same thing for books. My favorite shows were: Land Before Time Moomins Pokémon (those older ones) Digimon Avatar The Last Air Bender Code Lyoko Also I always watched nature and space documentaries as a kid and still do. Not those documentaries made for kids but those actual ones. Kids should watch those for general knowledge. My favorite children's book was and still is: Warrior Cats (Warriors) (I still read them😅) I was always into dramatic, detailed and deep thinking tv shows and books 💜

[@vivianacuna4679]

I’m so glad you’ve included books in this video. Because I’ve noticed how children’s book have become super simplistic, like I’m surprised that I’m having trouble finding stories like what we grew up with (ei Beatrix potter etc). I’m also curious how AI writing/ pictures will impact kids books

[@lavenderbookco]

@@vivianacuna4679 yes the use of AI will be very interesting to see. I’m glad that the writing community (and really any creative communities) are appalled at using AI. We need more modern books that have that wonderful character that we hold so dear to our hearts.

[@katie-allen]

It’s already impacting a lot of kid’s media. My little cousin (age 5) brought some puzzles over lately, and she had just gotten a brand new - pack of puzzles which were all pictures of heinous AI generated cats with bright psychedelic backgrounds of doughnuts, sprinkles, etc. They were so ugly and fake looking, and it just made me kind of sad. I hope that books don’t get that bad too, but maybe they already are, idk

[@spottedtime]

@@katie-allenI know people have already started to use AI to write books (I’m not sure if they were children’s books or for an older audience). I was in a community for the Warrior Cat book series by Erin Hunter and there are plenty of fans (who are now adults) think the newer books were written by AI (this might be due to how quickly these books are produced, which is 6 months in between books, and these are about 300 page, children books) If its true, then there could be more children books that are written by an AI system. For content, the Warrior Cat books is a book series that has about 9 arcs of 6 books. On top of that, there are longer books for certain characters, called Super Editions. So, it’s a popular series that have been going for many years.

[@katie-allen]

@@spottedtime I used to read the warrior cats books in elementary school, in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Honestly, I don’t think they’re AI written, I think they’re just poorly written by a book packaging company who hires a ton of writers to work on them together. Certain passages could have AI assistance, sure, but those books were never that solid in the first place, especially after the first 6. “Erin Hunter” is just the pen name for the book packaging company who makes all those books, if I remember correctly. She may have written the first few, but the fact that they’re a soulless cash grab now has less to do with AI and more with corporate greed I think. I’ve watched some videos about AI written books for adults. At least as of now, they’re still pretty obvious. But I wonder if it would be easier to get away with in a children’s book because of the short word content. It’s just a real bummer either way

[@Senianar]

​@@spottedtime I'm still Warrior Cats fan from Finland 🇫🇮 (I'm 26). I think the older books were better but I also enjoy the new ones. As a kid I always wanted to read dramatic and detailed stories so this book serie was perfect find. I hated every lame children's book. I don't think they have used AI (yet). Just a group of people like before but with a faster writing pace which is causing the storytelling to suffer.

[@Misceletric]

I am a mom of two , and I’m doing my best to raise my kids with “less” screen time. I try not to use it as a crutch, and recently have been seeking out older tv shows. KZbin is great for that! There are so many older shoes on here that are so chill and actually teach something. I really can’t stand the newer kids programming. I feel sick when I watch babies and small children watching endless tv. It’s so obviously bad I don’t understand why people are ok with it. It’s like drugs 😅😅😅

[@lavenderbookco]

@@Misceletric it is like drugs! The kids brain as the same reaction as drugs and they will even experience withdrawal like symptoms. I can’t stand most of the shows nowadays too haha I look at screen time as anything else, it’s something to be enjoyed but in moderation and when it’s age appropriate. This is the world we live in now, technology everywhere, and it’s all about teaching kids the balance.

[@spottedtime]

I’ve noticed that there’s been in increase in companies that prioritize money over quality. From movies getting so many unnecessary sequels to book stories prioritizing best selling authors over new ones. I’m not too surprised that it has affected the children market. I’m glad that there are people who still cares about the development of current and future kids, to write stories that actually has quality, even if it effects the money they will be receiving.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@spottedtime I totally agree! When it comes to movies I’m so over the sequels and remakes, like where are all the originals!? Haha

[@xenotiic8356]

Corporations always prioritize money over all else. The change is that the profit incentive usually aligned with quality, or at least palatability. Now with algorithms and decades of focus-group testing, companies have been able to hyper-streamline media into financially-optimal "content". The general financialization of the economy hasn't helped, with more focus placed on quarterly profit gains over even more moderate, more sustainable profit growth.

[@strayiggytv]

Weirdly when I was a kid on the 90s i had the cocomelon reaction to sesame street. My grandma said you couldnt pry me away when it was on and id ignore everything around me.i mean seasame street is at least educational but yeah lol

[@lavenderbookco]

Yes my mom has this same reaction to Sesame Street and even Barney. We weren’t allowed to watch them! Some shows have a chokehold on kids 😂

[@strayiggytv]

@@NewSonyWonderHappyMadisonFan did I say it wasn't?

[@mynameisreallycool1]

I feel like this was the case for kids who watched Teletubbies too, and that show's not very educational, nor does it have life lessons or a compelling plot.

[@BigRedAltoids]

As someone who’s studying to become an educator and someone who’s very passionate about children’s entertainment, I believe that ideally, children’s media should be stimulating in a productive way. It should teach them, encourage creativity and imagination, or get them excited to do something like exercise or participate in their community. Media should try to influence kids. Not to consume more media, but to instead live more productive, healthy lives. Television should encourage kids to read and ride bikes. Books should teach kids about science and math. Toys should be open to creativity and allow kids to really use their imagination with them, and they can still do this while being entertaining and speaking to kids in their level. I have a very distinct memory of reading a book on the human body with my aunt. I had so many questions and the illustrations only served to further play with my imagination and serve my fascination. Children’s books should encourage questions, experimentation, and action, even if they’re not informational. In short, they should encourage thought. While I think it’s good to have some media aimed at kids that is silly and made for fun, the future educator in me wants to see more engaging media for future generations. Not just something that can hold their attention, but something that can have a positive impact on them.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@BigRedAltoids yes i think children’s book of course should entertain but they should also teach. Today it feels like it’s more so about entertainment and maybe some learning. Children’s books are a form of education and it’s a wonderful way to teach and start conversation with our kids.

[@tobydandelion]

As a severely autistic adult, the effect screens are having on the sensory development of most American children is fascinating. At first I was a bit offended when I heard the term "virtual autism", but learning more, it does make sense. There are physical changes to the brain that happen from supernormal stimulus occurring during development that probably interact with pre-existing slight aneurotypicalities and exacerbate their effects. We're literally disabling our children. This is brain damage. The fact there isn't a regulatory body that can quickly act on new research and pass legislation to protect children from neurologically harmful media (or deter parents from using it) is disgusting in the richest country in the world. We're going to be paying for it later with all the folks who are gonna need SSDI due to these emergent disabilities.

[@nyanuwu4209]

Never heard "digital autism" before but I'm autistic plus brain damage from hydrocephalus and the fact I have to be a voice of reason (not that they listen anyway) to my siblings currently letting their kids grow into imaginationless (the ten-year-old literally told me she doesn't like reading because she can't picture things with her eyes open, but can't read with her eyes closed) tablet TikTok babies with no attention span (the younger one will scroll on a tablet through drivel video after drivel video, and not even let any one play to its 30-second end; it's like the scrolling act itself is the entertainment value; when I suggested she watch an actual show, she said 'This is a show') is just truly fucked. My brain is a large cavity surrounded by fluid-compressed gray matter. I should not be the better mind on this. They're ruining their kids (to say nothing of their political leanings...Which will also ruin the kids).

[@gemstone108]

Autism is not caused by media, and regardless of if it is or not, that’s a horrible thing to say about neurodivergence.

[@gemstone108]

@@nyanuwu4209 I do hope by “political leanings” you mean conservative christians who don’t want their children to learn about the world or themselves beyond their bubble of hatred and would disown them for being queer or trans. THOSE are the people who ruin and sometimes even kill their kids…

[@Shridra]

I never connected it before this, but I feel like this may be a facet of a bigger issue, which is the dumbing down of all entertainment. I've noticed it big time in a lot of shows that I was initially excited to watch, but almost immediately was turned off of because the writing was so one dimensional. Or books that lack depth. As someone who has been a writer her entire life, who enjoys crafting a good story, it really irks me. I definitely mind myself rewatching shows, or rereading books rather than feel disappointed. Luckily my kids have never been into cocomelon, and part of that is probably because I don't let it play for very long. My kids enjoy some of the older animations like Looney Toons, Casper, Charlie Brown. I also purposely tend to go with open ended "older" style toys (wooden tracks, dollhouse, Mr Potato Head), although that's got to do with the fact that I homeschool and work from home part time, so my kids do have to entertain themselves at least a few hours a day and those toys make that easier to do.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@Shridra I agree! I think it is one facet of a bigger issue. I get irked too, I don’t blame you at all. More things today geared towards kids feel like they are just worried more on the entertainment portion versus learning. We know how stimulating certain things are to the brain, yet they continue to model shows using those very things…

[@LeighW-m3r]

Thank you so much for speaking about this topic! I thought was going crazy when I had a gut feeling that cocomelon and videos like it were hypnotizing kids. I feel validated from your message and encouraged to provide materials that foster deeper thinking for kids.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@LeighW-m3r thank you so much for saying that! Yes I think more and more people are seeing these shows for what they are. You are not crazy!! We may have our gut instincts but when the science backs us up it’s boosts our confidence

[@MegaGraceiscool]

I love cartoons, and have only seen the cartoon side of this issue. It's gotten to the point where my husband and I are combing through our memories of old cartoons and making a list of what we can use for when we have our own kids, because a lot of the cartoons out today just do not stimulate the brain in any way, or provide any creative outlet for kids. I'd rather die than show my kid Cocomelon

[@lavenderbookco]

@@MegaGraceiscool that’s really smart of yall to be talking about this now! Y’all want to be on the same page. We do the same thing, most of what our kids watch are things we grew up on

[@loribrokke8862]

Yes! So glad I found this video- it's good to know I'm not the only one who thinks this way! When I started having children, I also made sure we stocked up on the classics since I recognized that shift in children's books. And when I couldn't find anything like those cozy classics in our bookstores, I started writing my own childrens' books too. My next step is illustration and I'm am so very encouraged and inspired by your story. I think these next several years are going to see a lot of Mom Authors come out of the woodwork to provide our kids with quality stories and illustrations

[@strayiggytv]

There are plenty of quality books being made now. By only giving your kids things that were classic to you you're kinda robbing them of the experiences of their own generation.

[@lavenderbookco]

I completely understand that frustration! I think you’re right too, we will be seeing more mom authors coming out, and I think this will be a really amazing movement to see. ❤

[@lavenderbookco]

@@strayiggytv we all look for different things when it comes to what we give our kids. We all have different thresholds and preferences for our kids. Nothing wrong with choosing books you know are great quality and will create wonderful memories

[@gemstone108]

@@lavenderbookco but kids should be able to choose for themselves too. Would you not let a child choose a book THEY personally thought looked cool to them? If not, that will just make them hate reading in the future and shelter their mind.

[@gemstone108]

@@lavenderbookco Children are their own individuals whether you like it or not. They won’t always be the perfect reflection of you who loves all your “perfectly curated” things.

[@pianobooks42]

Media for 0-5 right now is awful, but media for older kids is amazing right now! I hope that this golden age of animation can start to include the littles. As a special educator, it’s so hard to find media for my low level learners that will encourage their learning of anything that’s on their IEPs. There’s nothing out there except 90s TV they refuse to watch and cocomelon style videos. Even the books, like you said! It’s so sad.

[@darkstarr984]

I love Rugrats. It’s such a unique show and full of imagination. It played with narratives where the babies are coming up with one thing but you see the reality and the resulting chaos of action taken based on the imagined circumstances.

[@nyanuwu4209]

Thank Gabor Csupo for that. Klasky (the other half of Rugrats' primary creative team Klasky-Csupo, and his wife at the time) constantly wanted to strip creative stuff away because 'One-year-olds don't actually know about football and stuff so they wouldn't play games like it.' or 'A one-year-old can't even really imagine SPACE, guys!', like some nursery version of Neil deGrasse Tyson on Twitter when Star Wars shows him a lightsaber. She wanted Angelica to not be a bully because 'It could remind kids of their own bullies and they'd feel bad'. and just crazy garbage nonsense like that. She even thought the babies talked too much. By all account, she wanted 'The Secret Life of Babies' but as literal and grounded as possible...Which is bad because actual babies are kinda boring. Seeing them grow and learn can be fun but as an entire animated show? Maybe if the primary character focus was on the adults experiencing it and their reactions and such...But it wasn't so that would've been awful. Luckily, Klasky was often overruled in the writers' room, and Csupo sided with them. Paul Germain (the third co-creator) also helped fight Klasky's drivel but he later got fed up and left, ended up creating the cartoon Recess.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@darkstarr984 I agree it was so fun to see things from the kids perspective. I’ll never forget the episode with Chucky and the watermelon seed 😂

[@mynameisreallycool1]

My younger siblings actually recently discovered that show a couple months ago (the original 90s version), and they really love it.

[@Chaosss_shoe]

As a younger gen z, I had also a lot of good kids shows. Odd squad, backyardagains, wild kratts, and quite a lot others.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@Chaosss_shoe yes they are there for sure! Over the years the good ones are getting harder to find.

[@uncertain_zee]

The part about art! I loved all school subjects, my parents did an amazing job of trying to make me excited about all different vocations, and one show i loved growing up was little Einsteins. I hate the modern "unschooling" thing because as parents its their job to instill that enthusiasm in kids, but also bc i think it goes hand in hand with all of this, AND with the growing "you should just learn what u need to to work!" sentiment. Way to treat children like robots. I think worrying about the media they're watching/reading is extremely important.

[@butwhytho4858]

Listen. The Brave Little Toaster literally traumatized so many in my generation… I can’t get behind the nightmares from the crushed car scene. Or All Dogs go to Heaven’s Hell scene. Or Anastasia with the undead guy. Or the tears from a whole class of kids during Charlottes web, Old Yeller, or Where the Red Fern Grows, or Land Before Time. The TRAUMA LOLOLOL Yeah it was better than CocoMelon cause that’s horrifying. But I still hated our stuff as a kid too.

[@nyanuwu4209]

'I hated it!' ...Okay, you can do that if you like, but you didn't give one single actual problem with it. 'Boohoo, I'm very sensitive and need to be swaddled at all times by everything I consume.', 'I hated this stuff because it was slightly dark or whatever'...Unwind, dude. There was no TRAUMA anywhere. There was just dimension and emotional investment through good writing. Way to downplay actual trauma to rationalize being an utter wimp who hates media that isn't sheer noise. You are a part of the Cocomelon problem.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@butwhytho4858 of course different movies can maybe be too much from some kids and other kids don’t mind. To me I think some of those movies can broach subjects like death and can start good conversations, it really depends on what the parents are comfortable with. Parents know their kids best and should follow that instinct

[@butwhytho4858]

@@lavenderbookco I can meet you halfway on that but I can also tell you a lot of parents back in our generation were not in tune with their kids whatsoever lol well not in my area 😅 they basically went by movie and show ratings. They also had no clue what I was reading in elementary. I read Christopher Pike the last vampire, which is absolutely not a children’s book just some thoughts

[@Ibly-Ob]

What they did to Bob the Builder recently when they changed the Bob the Builder is a crime against humanity

[@marmoth9786]

if i ever take care of children i will to the best of my ability try every new thing together with them - be that TV, activities, food, new people, etc. because i believe what they are supposed to enjoy, i should also enjoy. i think my parents did a good job because i can't remember a single thing i did as a child that i wouldn't enjoy doing now as well.

[@Cat_yaek]

Once I had to put on a show for my friend 's little sister (around 1 and a half at the time) so I put on the older episodes of sesame street, the girl had a tantrum and stopped when I put on cocomelon (against my will) 😭

[@lavenderbookco]

oh no! 😭

[@rowan-priince1860]

I feel blessed to have grown up with media made to make kids curious, as well as expand their vocabulary, communication skills and ability to process information and emotions. My youngest brother has had a speech impediment all his life, into his teens now. I can’t help but partially blame the media he grew up with that incessantly babied him and left him pronouncing his L sounds and more in a ‘childish’ way. I’m thankful he’s friends with people that understand that difficulty and has gotten into complex media instead of watching KZbin shorts all day or something, but I wonder how much harm the shift in kid targeted content did to my wonderful younger brother’s development.

[@kalilak9701]

Thanks for the great video! I really wish KZbin actually cared to vet the videos going up on KZbin kids instead of prioritizing watch-time from the most vulnerable portion of the populous. -_-

[@lavenderbookco]

@@kalilak9701 absolutely! I have seen some CRAZY stuff

[@jessicaskaalerud9565]

Books these days definitely need to calm down. We are a homeschool family for context. My girls love all of the 5 In a Row curriculum books. Although we don’t use the curriculum anymore I do refer to it for book suggestions. At current ages of 2 & 4 so far we have read Madeline, Frog and Toad, Winnie the Pooh, classics like the original Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pans. We of course ready all of the Peter Rabbits and Wind in the Willows. These are books that keep my kids attention and they ask for more of. Even low color books like One Morning in Maine or Little House on the Prairie are closed over movie cartoon books. I cannot stand the Pigion Books, Llama Llama, Pinkalicious or any other goofy books that make up words. They drive me nuts. The worst book I have read was about a family that had a baby and kept bringing home zoo animals. I don’t remember the name of it but it went straight into the fire while we were camping. I refuse to read books with blatent incompetent parents. We have around 2k books in our home library and have easily read that many over the years. 😂 By this point I’ve become very good at judging books by their cover. As for shows we stick to classics as well. And Bluey, Nat Geo and the more stimulating is probably Veggie Tales.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@jessicaskaalerud9565 haha I would love to go through your at home library it sounds FANTASTIC. My husband always is shocked when I bring more books home and he’s like,”we have no room!” My response is always,”oh I’ll make room” 😂 the books you are reading your children are simply wonderful and you will never regret reading them such wonderful books. Think of the adventures they get to go on! I appreciate that it feels like more parents today are seeing what is happening to children’s entertainment.

[@gemstone108]

You BURNED a book??? That’s horrible, and not a good thing to do in front of children. Burning books has a horrible connotation with censorship and all art deserves to exist. All words are made up words when you think about it! I do hope you let your kids choose their own books one day and won’t take away/forbid anything you deem “unacceptable”. That creates scared and sheltered minds…

[@cassandraanderson3314]

So glad I stumbled onto your channel and this video. Regarding books, I hate a lot of kids books. They are boring- so freaking boring. My daughter is two, but I am quickly building up our Berenstein Bear collection. Those are actually enjoyable to read. I suffer through Biscuit books, too.

[@lavenderbookco]

I love the Berenstein Bears books. They hold a lot of great lessons and become great conversation starters. It’s hard to find modern books that strike the balance between entertainment while still being meaningful

[@cassandraanderson3314]

@@NewSonyWonderHappyMadisonFan hahaha If I have to woof woof one more time I’m gonna lose it

[@cassandraanderson3314]

@@NewSonyWonderHappyMadisonFan it’s just a joke. I read them regardless if I like them.

[@gemstone108]

Look up Raul the Third and Jarret Krosocska! They make some great books. The graphic novelist Jillian Tamaki also has a children’s picture book called They Say Blue that’s really gorgeous

[@latycelittle4636]

I was always thinking about this. I dont have kids, but if i did i would not let them watch cocmelon and newer shows l, its not calm and relaxing for kids like what we had as kids 😮

[@tansangirlie]

I don't have kids, but I've seen that zombiefication effect that cocomelon has on my sister's kids, and the way you can't get them to stop watching it. Aside from the fact that we aren't English speakers, and in school they actually get told off for using English (besides the only thing they learned is "no"...) I also despise the youtube shorts with weird voice-overs that the daughter watched? It's so sped-up and rushed and weird... The difference between having only access to TV AND limited kids' programming when I was young is so huge. (Kids' shows were only on in the morning and again in the late afternoon until 8pm, before kids-only channels existed, aka were imported)

[@kittfln8168]

Its funny that you mentioned Dragons love Tacos. I just listened to the book on KZbin( we don't have the ability to get to a library). I was so disappointed in the book, and I have been finding more and more books with the same lacking format. The decline in children's shows I could see coming a while ago( imma young millennial), all because of the decline of family movies/shows. Like you stated children shows use to care that parents would have to listen or watch children TV shows, with there children on the TV. Now a days the videos are available on mobile devices, where you can put in headphones/relocate. So parents don't have to hear the absurd amount of farting going on in a Bad Dinosaur episode. So why not just appeal to children. Just throw in some education(no matter how minimal it is) and your good. Some new shows My children like are the DuckTales reboot, Blippi(HELP ME,PLEASE), Bad Dinosaur, Carmen Sandiago reboot, Steven Universe, DinoTrux, Howdytoons. My children actually end up watching a lot of my old shows. Current favorites are Bonkers, Darkwing Duck, Static Shock, Bear in the big blue house, Invader Zim, Gumball, Kim possible, American Dragon Jake Long, Wild Kratts, ect. Not all good, and some oversaturated, but it keeps them engaged, without the Coco melon trance. Yes we did watch, but the tantrums and trance had me weaning them off. Still watch Gracies Corner and Hey bear eventhough they do the same thing, no tantrums though

[@lavenderbookco]

@@kittfln8168 I can’t believe you just had that experience with Dragons Love Tacos! Yes today producers and publishers seem to be more worried about entertainment and continue to include things we know are too stimulating for the brain. To me it’s about watch time. Most of these platforms work on trying to keep us on them as long as possible.

[@ladria9743]

The best shows are the ones you can still get into again as an adult and still enjoy a lot. I recently rediscovered my love for Bibi und Tina, which is a German kids franchise sharing the world with a few other series with characters having cameos in other series of the same universe. I'm 23 now. I used to have lots of audio plays of that series on cassette, though I gave them away about 8 or 9 years ago. Luckily I found another way to legally listen to the audio plays - and they perfectly hold up. Even my parents always somewhat enjoyed them. And yes, the animated series going along with this franchise is also very bright and colorful, but it's all enjoyable for adults too, teaching important lessons about friendship, horses and all kind of things in a fun way without dumbing anything down. The whole kiddinx universe containing Bibi und Tina, Bibi Blocksberg and many more is so enjoyable for any age, and this is how child entertainment should be. Colorful, fun, but not dumbing down anything. And the best thing: The newest episodes still hold up very well. I have as much fun with them experiencing them now for the first time as I had with the old episodes as a child.

[@bjornjonsson6583]

Yes, there are still good shows for kids today - but I still can't help thinking the opposite, like you. 😢 Funny that you should mention Franklin and Bear in the Big Blue House - those two shows was part of how I comforted myself during the pandemic (Barbapapa was another one). As an autistic grown-up, security is still important to me, so I know exactly what you talk about. Plus, even more than before, that I probably will end up like the mother from "About a boy" if I get children of my own🙂

[@bingkmartain565]

The success of Cocomelon as chidlren's brain rot cannot be understated, however, I feel your nostalgia goggles were on a little too tightly. Many children's classic books such as The Hungry Caterpillar or Dr. Seuss use repeating or strange words because those words are 'fun' to say and help young children engage with reading. Word recognition and patterns is pivotal to a very young child's first reading experiences. Being able to see the word 'taco' by fun repeating phrases is how children's books have worked for decades. Go Jane Go, ect. -- Also, children's programming has seen a BOOM in quality in the last decade. Show's like Bluey, True and the Rainbow Kingdom, The Creature Cases, ect, all harken back to quality as continuation of 90s/00s children's television. Cocomelon is AWFUL, but it's pretty broad to paint the outlier success of one bad show over the many very good shows and books out right now.

[@lavenderbookco]

yes I am talking more on a majority type scale. This is where the bulk of entertainment is at now versus being the minority in the market. This is just the way that myself and many other parents feel this. Like i mentioned in the video there are times were repetition is good and even necessary, but if used incorrectly it comes across as lazy.

[@Kinikkanak]

I was born in the mid seventies and got to see a lot of the best cartoons. Except for bluey, I feel like they've killed all of the children's programming. The remakes are discouraging... bob the builder and thomas the train used to be awesome.

[@jessmcintyre1002]

It not digital art that the problem it AI there two defter thing. Just like any art digital have great and not so great art please do not confuse the two thank you!

[@nyanuwu4209]

Take an English class.

[@lavenderbookco]

@@jessmcintyre1002 I’m definitely not confusing the two for sure! AI is terrible when it comes to trying to stomp out creativity and I’m glad people are having a negative reaction. I personally don’t like the digital art that feels flat and lacks character. It’s just a personal taste where I gravitate toward physical art, but we still own and enjoy books with digital art!

[@carultch]

@@lavenderbookco As a child of the 90's, I never experienced the sentiment that digital art is somehow inauthentic, the way AI proponents claim that it was frowned upon the same way artists of all kinds are fed up with AI art today. My art teachers would be just as thrilled to see my MS Paint masterpieces and Raydream renderings as they were to see my physical art. I endorse all deterministic art software, and anything made from the authentic creativity of its users.

[@lavenderbookco]

@ art is down to personal taste! I’ve seen some amazing digital art and we own and enjoy books with it. What I don’t like is the art that feels rushed and ‘flat.’ That’s just my personal taste

[@strayiggytv]

I dunno you kinda lost me in the art part. Childrens books and art in general have always followed trends. We aren't looseing older styles of art they just arent on trend. Like think about it. I can look at a kids book and the art in it and i can tell you about when it was made. 50s books dont look like 90s books that dont look like 70s books. Right now we're firmly in this glitter bright period that borrows a lot from a "kawaii through a western lens" aesthetic. In twenty years the style will be different and ill be able to look at this art and say "yeah that's from the 2017 to 20xx era. Also the anti potty humor stuff from my fellow millennials is wild because the 80s loved that stuff. Garbage pail kids, creepy crawlers. The eitlghties was all about nasty toys and now if you eant my opinion people just have a problem with it being aimed at girls for some reason. People out here clutching pearls over unicorn poop and i just dknt get it. Where ws all this outrage in the eighties?

[@lavenderbookco]

Something I love about art is that is very much up to personal taste. That being said people can tell the difference when illustrations have been well thought out and executed versus not. We own books with many different art styles and I enjoy the different tastes in styles, but I don’t like when the book feels like it was quickly thrown together. This comes down to personal taste. I’m not sure I mentioned anything about directing anything towards boys or girls. I don’t appreciate potty humor because I think kids are capable of better humor than that. Potty humor is part of the “low hanging fruit” I mentioned. Again, this is personal taste.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

Garbage Pail Kids and Creepy Crawlers were designed and marketed to children ages eight and up. Children's books and children's videos are accessible to kids as soon as they have someone reading to them or can hit play on a tablet. This is a false equivalency. One is locked behind money and the commercials come for the 8 to 12 age group. One is functionally free (in the sense of not having to ask Mom and Dad for money) and targeted at any and all children.

[@taylorbechstein1681]

I actually don't think ANY toys should be centered around gross stuff? Bugs and slime are different than toys centered around POOPING. Why does everything have to relate to scat??? Especially when it's clearly the fetish of the people who created it, why are they making toys with such wild undertones? It's on cartoons as well, you can tell when the fetishes of people behind the scenes come into the episode (does everyone who works on the episode feel that way? No, they probably have to just to keep their jobs, so I'm not saying everyone is at fault.) I could be way too dramatic about this, but I'm just tired of constantly seeing crappy toys that don't mean anything.

[@strayiggytv]

@@taylorbechstein1681 "Especially when it's clearly the fetish of the people who created it," I'm going to be blunt here, you are being way to dramatic about this. Toilet humor has existed probably since before written history. We have toilet humor scrawled on the pantheon for pity sake. Lol. Kids think farts and poo are funny and the only person bringing up fetishes are adults projecting that onto what is some pretty innocent humor. You don't have to personally like that humor but pearl clutching over it is pretty wild.

[@nyanuwu4209]

@@taylorbechstein1681 "Bugs and slime are different..." No, they aren't. Tons of people find bugs and slime gross. There's no fetish involved in it. Frankly, you sound insane saying that. It's just gross-out humor and in the case of dolls and stuff, some biological realism. Freakin' Mozart, mathematical musical genius, partook in scatological humor. You're assuming and projecting quite a lot, and the fact _your brain_ connects poop to sex so immediately and intensely like that says more about you than anything. Also "I actually don't think ANY toys should be centered around gross stuff?" is a question. Asking strangers for _your_ thoughts is weird and reflects poorly on your mental state. "I'm just tired of constantly seeing crappy toys that don't mean anything." ...No toys MEAN anything. They're toys.

[@Athenral]

Hey, at least it's not Caillou.

[@mynameisreallycool1]

At least Caillou isn't over stimulating like Cocomelon. It's actually pretty slow paced, and I think the creators didn't have malicious intent like the creators of Cocomelon clearly do. Plus, Caillou isn't as terrible in the later seasons. Don't get me wrong, Caillou is still a bad show, and the character has some HORRIBLE moments where he doesn't really face the consequences of his actions. I can see why many parents hate it, but I wouldn't say it's worse than Cocomelon. I never saw kids throwing tantrums over parents stopping the show or not putting it the way they do for Cocomelon.

[@alexpapasi61]

You must be an amazing mom!!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@lavenderbookco]

@@alexpapasi61 that’s so sweet! I try haha 😂❤️

[@gemstone108]

Sorry, but I’m jealous of a lot of kid’s media these days. Not talking about Cocomelon and it’s ilk, I’m talking about all the kidlit authors and illustrators I follow! Raul The Third, Jarrett Krosoczka, Raina Telgemeier, Dav Pilkey, and many others are crushing it right now. Not to mention all the positive representation now. Granted, a lot of the graphic novels and such now are for bigger kids but they’re no less great! There’s awesome kid’s stuff out there right now, you just have to look closer

[@gemstone108]

People who make adult graphic novels like Jillian Tamaki, Tillie Walden, and Lucy Knisley have also published their own children’s picture books! You can tell they very much don’t talk down because they have the range and appeal of various audiences

[@FeliAya11]

I feel so bad for the kids these days. They grow up on absolutely crappy ''shows''. I'm only 14 but i can tell the stuff i watched as a kid was actually great PLEASE, IF UR A PARENT, SHOW UR KID SOME SHOW FROM THE 2010's NOT 2024's

[@angelagokool9514]

I'm a Gen Xer, with a four-year-old niece, and I'm disappointed with the current state of children's entertainment. Oh, sure, there are some good shows out there, like Bluey or Octonauts, but there's also a lot of junk out there, like Baby Shark. My mom and I can't even begin to fathom why they would make a children's show based on ocean predators. Sharks aren't cute, or friendly; they're dangerous, so what was the thinking there? Cocomelon is TRASH! It's ugly to look at, and it's annoying! 😡And the colors are too bright and garish. What's wrong with having children's entertainment that's calming, like watching old school episodes of Sesame Street, or Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood? It worked for us. Plus, today's kids are WAY too obsessed with their iPads! They get upset, if you attempt to confiscate them! Kids should spend more time playing or coloring, or reading, or having parents read to them, and less screen time.

[@cassiefriedman1446]

Im a 90s kid and the suff they have now for kids sucks

[@lavenderbookco]

@@cassiefriedman1446 as a fellow 90s kid…I get that

[@gemstone108]

No it doesn’t! Look up current graphic novelists for kids. There’s so many it makes me jealous I didn’t have them! Same with a lot of shows. I wish characters like Twyla in the new Monster High had been around when I was a kid and learning I was neurodivergent, for example!

[@bjornjonsson6583]

Speaking of remakes of old kids shows, I would recommend you not to watch the Bananas in Pyjamas one. Especially if you don't think that "Bananarific" or "Pyjamarama" are good catchphrases. And the teddies' personalities are reduced to "wild boy, cute girls." Like what?!

[@trevorpacelli8056]

This entire video could just be summed up quickly with, "Everything was so much better when I was a kid, because that was the nostalgic time for me!"

[@lavenderbookco]

@@trevorpacelli8056 partially true but it’s more than nostalgia 😊

[@jamesdurtka2709]

Not when there's scientific research and solid pedagogical theory to back it up... nobody's saying all modern children's media is bad, just that there's a concerning trend toward cheaply and poorly produced content designed to be overly stimulating and entertaining without particular thought toward educational or creative enrichment of the child. This also accords with a broader trend reported by numerous educators online that kids are coming to school underprepared- parents are letting KZbin (or TikTok) and their proprietary engagement algorithms do too much of the parenting for them.

[@trevorpacelli8056]

@jamesdurtka2709 Overstimulating poorly produced children's content is not at all a new trend. There was still plenty of that 30-40 years ago, say for instance Teletubbies. Even then, parents complained about things like video games and TV of causing short attention spans and brain rot in kids.

[@lavenderbookco]

@ oh absolutely! My whole point is that it’s becoming the new norm or “default” setting, that’s what frustrates me

[@jmsl_910]

very unique? really? a children's writer, while critiquing the (presumably educational) quality educational programs

[@alexpapasi61]

Tell me you have no idea about children's needs without telling me 😂

[@jmsl_910]

@@alexpapasi61 i was objecting to her incorrect grammar. i hope that educational writers would be of higher caliber