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Spongebab Research Paper

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In the modern world, the media plays a massive role in an individual’s life. Whether it be watching the news to gain knowledge about their surroundings or just watching daytime television for amusement, it is no question that watching television is one of the most popular pastimes. With a simple click of the remote, a million shows are available for the viewer to watch. Even though it is convenient, it contributes to a developing problem that only modern humans have come to face: the increasing number of aggressive attitudes and behavior found in children. Blues Clues, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Rick and Morty all share the same characteristic of being a cartoon. Nevertheless, the number of aggressions in the show all vary. Unsurprisingly, …show more content…

In SpongeBob SquarePants, social aggression towards other characters are rewarded. For example, when SpongeBob and Patrick first encounter the medieval version of Squidward named Squidley, they mocked and laughed at him for simply asking, “Dost thou talketh to me?” Admittedly, that type of diction does not exist in the modern world anymore so it is strange to hear that. However, this type of behavior does create problems because younger viewers will think that mocking and laughing someone who is different is acceptable. On another note, it is quite difficult to imagine a scenario in which an individual who unleashes physical aggression to be rewarded. However, this type of situation is possible in a show like Rick and Morty. When the “demonic alien spirit” version of morty’s family lunges at Rick, Morty has no choice but to press a button that ultimately melts the family down and finally gets captured in a box. In that scene, both Rick and Morty are rewarded by being relieved of the dangerous presence of the “demonic alien spirit” family. Although this type of situation cannot be translated into reality since the plotline is fictitious, the graphic illustration of the family melting to the ground can desensitize a child’s view on violence. As a result, the child can get used to violence since it appears so much in television programs. In both SpongeBob SquarePants and Rick and Morty, reward and punishment does not occur often. Most of the time a physical or social aggression happens in the show, the rest of the characters just stand by idly. This threatens a young viewer’s perspective on violence, since the shows normalize the aggression. On another note, two examples of positive behavior other than aggression can be seen in Blues Clues. The first example is when Steve asks the audience to lower voice because baby Paprika is sleeping. This teaches good manners to young

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