05/03/2026
**WATCH WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING**
Last weekend, a parent shared something that stayed with me.
She said she walked into the sitting room and found her 9-year-old quietly watching a cartoon on the phone. Nothing unusual. Just another “children’s movie.” But when she paused for a moment and actually listened to the dialogue, she noticed something strange. The characters were talking about relationships in a way no 9-year-old should even be thinking about.
It was subtle. No shouting. No obvious warning signs. Just a small scene that slipped in quietly.
That moment made her uncomfortable.
The truth is, many of our children are growing up in a world very different from the one we knew. Years ago, when a child sat down to watch a cartoon, parents could relax a little. Most of the content was truly designed for children.
Today, things are not that simple anymore.
A child may open a “kids’ movie” on Netflix or YouTube. In between the funny scenes and colorful characters, there may be moments, ideas, or messages that are not meant for their age. Sometimes it appears in the dialogue. Sometimes it is a quick scene. Sometimes it is a message about identity, relationships, or behavior that a child is too young to process.
And children absorb more than we think.
When a child watches something repeatedly, it slowly shapes the way they see the world. What they hear becomes normal to them. What they see becomes acceptable to them.
This is why the phone has become one of the most powerful influences in a child’s life today.
Many children now spend hours alone with screens. A phone in the bedroom. A tablet in the sitting room. A television that plays automatically episode after episode.
But the question every parent must begin to ask is simple:
**What exactly is my child watching?**
Not just the title of the movie.
Not just the cartoon character on the screen.
But the message behind it.
Many children today have access to smartphones before they are mature enough to understand the internet. They know how to click and scroll, but they have not yet learned how to question what they see.
This is what experts call *media literacy*. Simply put, it means teaching children how to think about the content they watch instead of just absorbing it.
Without that guidance, a child can easily believe that everything on the screen represents reality.
That is why parental supervision is more important today than ever before.
Sometimes the safest thing is simply this:
Watch with them.
Sit down and see the cartoon they enjoy. Listen to the conversations in the movie. Notice the small messages being passed across. When something confusing appears, pause and talk about it with your child.
Children actually appreciate these conversations more than we think.
It also helps to set clear boundaries around screen time. Not every moment of boredom needs to be solved with a phone or television. Books, outdoor play, creative activities, and family conversations still build stronger minds than endless hours of digital entertainment.
Phones and streaming platforms are not the enemy. They can be useful tools for learning and creativity.
But like every powerful tool, they require guidance.
Our children are growing up in a time where information, entertainment, and influence are just one click away. If we do not guide what they consume, the internet will do the guiding for us.
And the internet does not raise children.
Parents do.
So the next time your child is watching a “children’s movie,” take a few minutes to sit beside them. Or better preview every content they are consuming before given them access to it. The media isn't as it used to be. There's alot inappropriate pop-ups and subtle scenes in even even education content this days.
Lets help this generation
Watch what they are watching.
It may reveal more than you expect.
