Changes in society, things that are rated pg-13 should be rated R how do shows such as family guy and south park effect kids and our society - Essay Example

The shows, specifically cartoons rated PG 13 contain a lot of unsuitable material which is inappropriate for viewing by kids. The cartoons meant for kids are suppose to be conveying good values to children so that they learn things like friendship, family standards, teamwork, and how to share things with each other. However the shows being aired these days contain characters cursing and back talking their parents, playing harmful pranks on their friends etc. Even the Hero in the cartoon is sometimes shown beating or killing the other like it is humorous.

‘Over sixty percent of television shows being shown in prime time contain some form of violence’. (Tompkins, 2003) Such shows display anything but morals and good qualities for life; they are setting bad examples for the viewers growing up today. Instead of learning healthy things, kids today are appreciating the nature of violence. According to the Nielson Media Research, not all children ages 2-17 watch age-appropriate programs. (The Nielson Company) There are many adult cartoons being aired nowadays, for instance South Park, Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and The Simpsons etc.

These cartoons involve subject matter that ordinarily is not suppose to be aired before kids since it displays the use of expletives, deviant sexual behavior, and the promotion of such lifestyles that parents, concerned about the decent upbringing of their children, would not allow them to be exposed to. The Parents Television Council advocates responsible entertainment, ensuring that children are not frequently assaulted by sex, profanity, and violence on television. Another system was introduced by major broadcast and cable networks: The TV Parental Guidelines System, about more than a decade ago in response to the people’s concerns of ever more explicit sexual content, strong profanity, and graphic violence in television programs.

This helped the parents to allow or restrict their children from viewing certain shows. Types