Being an adult I was never a huge fan of anime. But I have seen a few like Death Note, Parasyte, and Monster on the recommendation of my friend who’s a die-hard manga and anime fan.
But I have to admit that all the anime that I have watched to date, I found to be very entertaining, in fact, they were addictive. I couldn’t resist watching all the series in one go.
While watching Anime I noted a few points that make them entertaining as hell but also dangerous for little kids and teenagers. In this article, I will try to answer a few questions based on my observation about why Anime is bad for mental health. Is anime safe for 10 or 12-year-olds? And more. So without wasting any time let’s get into it.
Table Of Contents
- Anime Vs Cartoon: What Parents Should Know?
- Is Anime Bad?
- Why Anime Is Bad & Dangerous For Kids?
- How To Prevent Kids From The Dangers Of Anime?
- Is Anime Safe? Final Verdict
- FAQs
Anime Vs Cartoon: What Parents Should Know?
Just because it is animated does not mean that it is made for kids. Some parents just don’t understand that and allow their kids to watch any animated series. While there are some anime that are made keeping only kids in mind, there are many that are not.
The main difference between cartoons and anime is that cartoons have content that is suitable for kids and minors. While on the other hand an anime may or may not have content that is suitable for teenagers or minors since it is made for all age groups.
So the next time you see your child watching an anime on TV, phone, or desktop you should interfere and see if it’s suitable for them or not.
Is Anime Bad?
I don’t say Anime as an industry is bad, because just like movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos, it is the source of our entertainment. Just like TV shows, movies and YouTube videos have age restrictions, anime also has age restrictions which means some animes are not meant for kids to watch.
Some anime shows are considered safe for 10 years or 12 years old while some are not. But why is that? You may wonder! Let’s talk about the hidden dangers of anime in the following part.
Why Anime Is Bad & Dangerous For Kids?
A TV show or movie can be bad for kids, similarly, an Anime can be dangerous for kids for the following reasons.
1. Addictiveness
As I told you earlier I am not much into anime and manga but I myself get addicted to these shows while watching them. So much so that I would wake up the entire night to complete a series. I am a grown-up, if this thing can be addictive for me think of your little kid’s mind which is still very impressionable, they can get glued to it in no time.
Even if you are filtering the anime content for your kids and allowing them to watch only kids-friendly anime. You should still watch their screen time because it can take a toll on their mental health if they watch it the whole day.
2. Some Anime Are Just Too Violent For Kids
I remember watching Parasyte, it is considered one of the most violent anime of all time. It has some gruesome killing scenes that could shake you to your core. Although the scenes are animated, they look so real. Not just Parasyte but there are tons of other anime that promote violence to the extreme level.
All I wanted to say is that watching such gruesome violent scenes may affect your child’s mental health. Hence, I don’t consider Anime safe for children if it’s too violent.
3. Promotes Erotic Content
There is a dedicated anime industry that makes full-fledged porn videos, which they call Hentai (rated 18+). You could still find anime makers promoting erotic and sexual scenes in mainstream anime series to attract the adult audience.
If you carelessly allow your children to watch anime without checking the age restrictions then you may be allowing them to watch adult content that they should not be watching.
4. Unreal Expectations
Anime isn’t real and so are cartoons, but if you watch anime closely you will find that the characters are designed with perfection to make them look the best. Watching a lot of Anime may develop a sense of insecurity in your child that they don’t look as good as their favorite character.
In extreme cases, kids are getting plastic surgery done on their faces to look like their favorite anime characters. If you don’t believe me then you can read this post on Poptopic.
How To Prevent Kids From The Dangers Of Anime?
1. Choose Right Anime For Your Child
You can’t just let your child watch any anime airing on TV or streaming on the internet thinking that it’s just a cartoon and we have seen enough reasons why. Therefore, you should do research about the anime your child is watching and only allow them to watch it if you find it suitable for your child.
You can check the parent’s guide section on the IMDB page of that particular anime. There you will find if there are any sex or violent scenes shown in the anime or not.
2. Apply Parental Control On Streaming Services
A lot of Anime is streamed on streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Videos, Roku, etc. The good thing is you can set parental control on Roku, Netflix, and all such platforms and choose which content to be shown to your children and which should not.
3. Make Use Of Monitoring Apps
Sometimes putting parental control on the streaming platform is just not enough because children can stream anime on any website on the internet as well or on any third-party apps. Hence it is important that you keep an eye on all of their activities through a monitoring app. You can install a parental control app on your child’s device and then remotely see everything they are doing on their phone.
A good parental control app not just blocks inappropriate websites on the kid’s device but also monitors their social media activities, call recordings, social media activities, and much more. One such app is KidsGuard Pro which can help you protect your child from all the dangers of Anime.
Is Anime Safe? Final Verdict
Anime in itself< is not bad or good for kids. It’s the content shown in these Anime shows that you should be aware of. Some anime shows are kids friendly and you can let your child watch them without any fear. However, some shows promote violence, vulgarity, and abuse which is not good for your kid’s mental health.
To conclude, I would like to say that Anime is safe for your kids. But Anime is also dangerous if you let your teenager watch anime that is not meant for them.
FAQs
What Are The Negative Effects Of Anime?
Some negative effects of anime include addictiveness, violence, nudity, etc.
Why Are Kids Obsessed With Anime?
Kids are obsessed with Anime because the characters in Anime are cartoonish which they can easily relate to.
What Age Is Appropriate For Anime?
It depends on anime to anime. Some Animes are safe for kids under 10 years old. While some are only meant for people over 18 years of age.
