The Formulation of Cartoon Television Shows for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Schoolers

Abstract

Cartoons are films segmented for the child audiences. The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission's (KPI) warning against SpongeBob SquarePants show on a television channel reaps controversy. The cartoon is considered harming child psychology, and thereby it raises the pros and cons of how a good cartoon show should be. Thus, this study aimed at revealing the content types and position of cartoon shows for toddlers, preschoolers, and schoolers, as well as why parents should pay attention to the contents of the cartoons their children watch. This study used constructivism paradigm, a qualitative approach to see how the content and the position of a cartoon show from various aspects. This study employed a case study method where primary data were gathered by observation and interview. Direct observation became the main instrument to collect data, while interview to collect additional data. The process of data analysis comprised data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing and verification. The results showed that cartoon as a television program had different impacts on child development in terms of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Despite different impacts in each age category, in general the content and the plot of the cartoon are the most significant things. The choice of words and images, the intonation, and the motion of a scene are determinants of cartoon's impact.