Violence in Animated Feature Films: Implications for Children

Abstract

Cartoons and animated films occupy a significant proportion of a child's viewing time, but may be considered questionable in terms of their content. Although parents prefer such films in order to shield their children from daily problems and potentially harmful images in the media, examination of their content has so far been limited. In this study, violence depicted in popular animated cinema films was analyzed using content analysis, tabulating categories and frequency. Twenty-three animated films from among the 100 highest-grossing feature films of all time were examined. Results indicated that the most violent physical elements were punching and kicking, the most violent verbal elements were taunting and threatening and there were 18 scenes of killing. It is concluded that the frequency of the violence shown in some of the animated films may be disturbing for the healthy mental development of young children.

Relationship between Impulsivity, Social Media Usage and Loneliness

“…However, it is known that various pathologies occur due to the insensible, in other words excessive, use of these social media tools (Kuss & Griffiths, 2011). Studies have emphasized that individuals who spend their time online are lonelier in their real life (Shaw & Gant, 2002;Turkmen, 2016;Weiser, 2001). LaRose, Eastin, and Gregg (2001) define virtual environment as being alone in the crowd.…”

Highlighting Racial Demonization in 3D Animated Films and Its Implications: A Semiotic Analysis of Frankenweenie

“…The two objects of racial demonization in the animated film analyzed, Toshiaki and Nassor are boys. Male gender has also been shown as the dominant objects of negative portrayal in another study but regarding violent acts this time (Turkmen, 2016). These findings seem to suggest that males are key actors when it comes to negative occurrences in society or are perhaps deemed best 'models' for highlighting societal perceptions, misconceptions and prejudices due to the importance that patriarchy and traditional hyper masculinities force on them.…”

“…Qualitative research approaches such as semiotics let critical observers see demonization and stereotypes in every guise in creative works, empowering them to see beyond film aesthetics and ultimately become more media literate than ever before. For instance, according to Turkmen (2016), parents should watch these films with their children, and let them know that racial stereotypes in animated films are not always real-life representations; one animation film character is not enough to represent an entire race, and good and bad people cut across all races. The sort of empowerment made possible through semiotic analysis could lead to knowledge and understanding of demonization of 'people of colour' in films and other media texts, which in turn is an important starting point for censorship and advocacies against it.…”

“…This makes one wonder if children actually prefer racist television content and if the belief of the existence of such preference has also prevailed among film producers, distributors and marketing teams, making them dwell on animated films that seem to demonize 'people of color'. Remarkably, however, animated films (no matter the content), according to Turkmen (2016), seem to be children's favorite. This preference makes them exposed to the influence of these films.…”

Untitled

“…Individuals feel lonely when their relationships with others are not at the desired levels and this feeling of loneliness makes them feel unhappy especially during their youth (Teppers, Luckyx, Klimstra, & Goossens, 2014). Studies have shown that loneliness is related to stress, social phobia, depression, shyness, and self-perception (Doane & Thurston, 2014;Ozen, 2016;Koenig & Abrams, 1999;Moore & Schultz, 1983, as cited in Karadas, 2014;Turkmen, 2016;Zhang et al, 2014). Individuals who generally experience loneliness also have low social relationship skills (Storch & Masia-Warner, 2004).…”