How Cartoons Changed My Life for the Better

Cartoons on television are designed to bring people levity and humor, while simultaneously acting as an enjoyable pastime. Cartoons are often wrongfully stereotyped as being created just for kids and utilized by parents to distract their kids for a short time. However, people, including myself, recognize cartoon value as significantly more. While cartoons may appear to be for children, all age groups can be taught subtle, invaluable life lessons. 

Every day I awoke early to watch my favorite childhood show, Phineas and Ferb. The cartoon is about two creative little boys and their secret agent pet platypus. The premise of the show was the same each episode, with the kids finding a new way to spend that particular day of their summer vacation while their pet platypus discreetly prevented an evil scientist from creating mind-blowing inventions and taking over the world. The show stretched the rules of reality as the boys built incredible inventions such as roller coasters and treehouse robots, without any education or money. 

Any competent individual could name numerous reasons why the show makes no sense and would not be possible in real life. However, that is one of the reasons loyal fans loved it to such a great extent. Phineas and Ferb provided me with numerous lessons, some of which I learned by watching the show at different times in my life. 

The first lesson I learned from Phineas and Ferb is about having fun, and the numerous ways to do so. Originally, I lived far from my friends at school, which provided me with a great deal of free time as a kid. Watching Phineas and Ferb, I learned that having free time is not a bad thing, and I can utilize my time to have fun. Clearly, attaining creations on the same level the show did is inconceivable, but I realized early on I could use my time to have fun by playing sports and creating things similar to them with Lego pieces or household items.

The second lesson the show taught is that my imagination is only limited by me. The show was able to easily convert imagination into reality, teaching me to think outside the box.

Phineas and Ferb was extremely layered and taught numerous lessons in ways not everyone can see. The show taught me about determination through the boy’s older sister, who continually failed but was determined to ensure their mom saw the crazy inventions the boys created.   Phineas and Ferb also tackled the subject of divorce, as referenced by the evil scientist and his ex-wife, as well as the power of secrets and the impact they have on people through the secretive relationship of the platypus’s double life. At first glance the show is a cartoon for kids, however with a careful watch, the show contains multiple underlying themes that people of all ages can relate to and learn from.  

As a child I was fortunate to learn from cartoons such as Justice League and Young Justice.  Justice League is a show about heroes and their adventures saving the world, demonstrating the struggles people and superheroes have in their lives. 

Justice League covered themes such as feeling uncomfortable as an outsider, like when alien characters Superman and the Martian Manhunter realize they are different. The importance of trust between friends as displayed by the betrayal of Hawkgirl, and finally, the struggle of restraint with the Flash and Superman. The themes the show explored translated well for me, teaching me values such as restraint, trust, and inclusion, which are ideals I abide by today.  

Young Justice is a show about the young sidekicks of the Justice League and their journey to becoming equals with their mentors. Young Justice has taught me important values including responsibility, as the main characters struggle to balance school and their missions. The show also tackled issues such as losing a loved one when a fan favorite character dies, and clashing ideologies between various heroes. By killing off a main character, the show taught me life does not last forever, and living without a person you love is difficult but possible. Finally, the main characters clashing ideologies showed me that while everyone is different, problems can be solved. 

A final cartoon that piqued my interest as a child was Avatar: The Last Airbender, a cartoon about a twelve-year-old boy who must learn to control all four elements in a year, within a war-torn world controlled by the authoritarian fire nation. This show resonated well because of the numerous life lessons during the show’s short run. 

The Last Air Bender taught me the value of responsibility, as I watched a twelve-year-old boy come to terms with saving the world within the year. Additionally, the show taught the importance of determination, by having a main character learn to use her unique powers in mere months, and then teach her friend to learn to use his powers even faster. The show taught me redemption as the villain Zuko turned into a hero and fought for the greater good, demonstrating that no one is ever truly lost. The power of self-forgiveness gives everyone the opportunity to be the best version of themselves, by seeking redemption from those who they wronged.

Finally, the show taught me that hope is never completely lost, even in the darkest of times. Centering around the time of a war, situations are getting worse for the main characters, but they remain confident and filled with hope. Hope and confidence have since become a vital part of my life and helped me grow into a good, spirited young adult.  

Ultimately, these cartoons are just a few examples of the numerous shows I watched since childhood, as I continue to look to maintain the various themes I learned. Cartoons allowed me to learn about confidence, responsibility, hope, determination, loss, and regret. In my experience, cartoons revolutionized my life, helping shape me into the person I am today, and providing me with the strong morals I will abide by for the rest of my life.