Inside Out to Turning Red: How Animated Movies Can Inspire Children

The impact of visual media on cognitive and behavioural growth can be seen as both positive and negative. Visual media significantly enhances children's emotional understanding and expression. For instance, the first Inside Out movie, released in 2015, follows 11-year-old Riley just after she and her family moved across the country. Anyone who has raised a teenager knows their emotions can take tumultuous turns at almost any time. This movie shows how emotions become more complex as one grows; how a teenager or young adult starts feeling more than one thing at a time — and that growing up means learning how to juggle those emotions when they all come barreling down at once. Movies like these help children comprehend complex emotions and emphasize the importance of expressing them. By personifying emotions, it teaches kids and parents that all feelings are valid and essential.

Paul Ekman, an American psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, and a pioneer in the study of emotions and their relation to facial expressions, was the scientific advisor to the first Inside Out movie. His reflections about the sequel Inside Out 2 aptly describe the challenges at the onset of adolescence, depicted in the film by a demolition team. He stated, “While this humorous metaphor captures the bold and sometimes unpredictable changes that occur in puberty, it is also important to note that adolescence does not ‘tear down’ the emotional structures in place of childhood, though it certainly adds layers of complexity and emotional development for teenagers.” The movie Inside Out emphasizes the importance of children and adolescents experiencing a full range of emotions, including negative ones like anxiety, embarrassment, envy, and ennui, helping them to normalize such feelings. Several scenes from  the movie illustrate how children can benefit from these portrayals. For instance, Riley's emotional headquarters, where Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust control her reactions and memories, shows how different emotions coexist as separate entities that work together to influence behaviour. This visualization helps children identify their emotions and understand early emotional regulation. Additionally, Riley’s memories, represented as glowing orbs during significant emotional experiences, teach children that memories are fluid and that their feelings and memories can change as they grow. A poignant scene where Riley breaks down and cries in front of her parents, expressing her homesickness and sadness, underscores the importance of expressing emotions and seeking support. This emphasizes that open communication and vulnerability are healthy while suppressing emotions is not. Another significant scene is Bing Bong’s sacrifice, where Riley's imaginary friend allows Joy to escape and save Riley, illustrating the concept of letting go. It helps children understand that growing up involves change and that it’s okay to leave some things behind.

Turning Red is another coming-of-age tale from Pixar, centred on Mei Lee, a child who loves her family deeply and hides her interests to keep them happy. After a vivid dream about red pandas, Mei gains the ability to transform into a fluffy, adorable, and often smelly creature, symbolizing the intense physical and emotional changes of puberty. A significant scene is when Mei first transforms into a giant red panda, triggered by stress and excitement, helping children understand that their bodies and emotions can feel overwhelming and unpredictable during puberty. Scenes where Mei manages her transformations through deep breathing and mindfulness provide useful techniques for managing anxiety and stress. The family ritual to seal away the red panda illustrates the difficulty families face dealing with their teenagers' emotional rollercoasters. Ultimately, Mei decides to keep her red panda form, embracing it as part of her identity, highlighting the importance of family support and understanding during times of change. Her choice represents self-empowerment and authenticity, encouraging children to accept and love themselves despite societal or familial pressures. Mei often struggles to balance traditional family values with her desire to fit in with friends and modern teenage culture, culminating in a concert scene where she must choose between pleasing her family or enjoying herself with friends. This scene addresses peer pressure and the struggle to form an independent identity while respecting family expectations, showing that conflicting feelings are natural and finding a balance is part of growing up. Mei and her mother, who also has a powerful red panda form, eventually reconcile, with Mei's mother acknowledging her own past struggles and apologizing for being too controlling, providing a model for children to understand that their parents also have emotions and that resolving conflicts through communication can lead to deeper familial bonds.

Interestingly, both Turning Red and Inside Out 2 succeed in showcasing characters who must navigate the conflict of being true to themselves while honouring their families. Both Mei and Riley have to acknowledge the multiple versions of themselves that exist through time. These characters also demonstrate how crucial friendships are to children and how children can influence each other positively or negatively.

In movies like Finding Dory, we see how the characters promote resilience and problem-solving skills, underlining the importance of perseverance despite challenges. Many Disney and Pixar movies follow the “believe in yourself and you can do anything” theme. In this movie, Pixar shows that despite one's differences or challenges, you can achieve anything if you don't give up and just keep swimming.

The movie WALL-E highlights environmental issues and the necessity of caring for our planet. Through the narrative, children and adolescents can learn about the consequences of environmental neglect and the importance of sustainability. Social skills and relationships can also be positively influenced by visual media. The Toy Story series emphasizes the value of friendship, loyalty, and teamwork. Children learn about resolving conflicts, sharing, and supporting one another. Walt Disney’s Frozen showcases themes of love, sacrifice, self-acceptance, and sibling bonds. The story also discusses the need to accept who you and your are supposed to be, even if no one else understands you. This is a challenging experience for anyone and applies to people of all ages. In this movie, Elsa, the protagonist of the story, does it with grace and grit. She does it by following her instinct, and doing what’s right is never easy, but Elsa still does it.

Animation breathes life into characters and scenes by incorporating dynamic visuals, vibrant colours, and motion in a way that static illustrations simply can't match. An example of this is The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, a 2019 illustrated book by Charlie Mackesy, which has been made into an animated film in 2022. This book shows the importance of being true to oneself, the power of love and friendship, and the beauty that can be found in the world if we only take the time to look for it. Adding voice, music, and sound effects enriches the emotional depth and immerses children deeper into the story's atmosphere. The combination of visual storytelling and sound creates a more immersive experience, making it easier for children to connect emotionally with the characters and the story. The nuances in a character’s voice, the background score, and the visual expressions evoke stronger feelings. Sometimes, children might find it easier to engage with animated films than books, especially if they are still developing their reading skills.

It’s not just animated movies that can impact children, feature films also leave an impression. Films like The Karate Kid, a martial arts drama, follow Daniel as he starts a new life with his mother in Los Angeles. He meets Mr. Miyagi, who becomes Daniel's mentor. Mr. Miyagi gives Daniel the tools he needs to master his own mind through the principles of karate. Daniel learns to defend himself against high school bullies and how to focus his mind to eliminate distractions. The story showcases the emotional turmoil that is a hallmark of pre-teen and teenage years. Pay it Forward, a film released in 2000, tells the story of a 7th-grade boy who, inspired by his social studies teacher, comes up with a way for people to practise random acts of kindness, which he hopes will lead to the world becoming a better place. Many classics, such as The Little Prince or The Wizard of Oz, tell stories of human connections and what really matters to the heart. These films recognize the importance of intangible qualities such as trust, respect, loyalty, and standing up for what you believe is right.

There are also children and adolescents who enjoy and love visual media such as anime, a style of animation that originated in Japan. Anime has a massive global following and is characterized by its colourful visuals, vibrant characters, and often fantastical or futuristic themes. These anime characters often face challenging situations and emotions like love, friendship, loss, and overcoming adversity. Children watching such films can find them deeply inspiring and help enhance their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Many anime series, such as Pokémon, Naruto: Shippuden, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, present complex storylines that require children to follow intricate plots and understand character motivations, thereby boosting their cognitive development. Some inspiring quotes from these films are: “Hard work is worthless for those who don’t believe in themselves” - Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto, “The important thing is not how long you live. It’s what you accomplish with your life” – Grovyle in Pokémon, and “The strong should aid and protect the weak. Then, the weak will become strong, and they in turn will aid and protect those weaker than them. That is the law of nature “– Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer.

However, there are also negative impacts to consider. Some visual media depict violence or aggressive behaviours, which children may imitate as normal and acceptable. This exposure can desensitize them to violence and cause increased aggression or fear. If exposed to a lot of violence/aggression through visual media, children could become more prone to using violence as a solution to conflicts. Even the classic Tom and Jerry cartoon series could be an example of such a depiction of violence if not interpreted properly. The series depicts the crazy adventures of a cat named Tom and a mouse named Jerry who aren’t exactly friendly with each other. There are many violent scenes featuring loads of chases and acts of aggression.

Children are highly impressionable and may imitate inappropriate behaviours seen on screen, such as bullying, deceit, or pushing them to eat junk food as we see in Dora the Explorer. Disney princesses not only make young girls focus on their bodies, worry about their weight, causing eating disorders and forming unrealistic expectations of beauty standards but also normalize stereotypes of female submissive behaviour. Sometimes, to the contrary, movies like Frozen and Toy Story often present idealized versions of reality, which can create unrealistic expectations about life and relationships in children's minds.

Attention disorders can also arise from excessive visual media consumption. Fast-paced editing and constant visual stimulation, common in many children's programs, can contribute to shortened attention spans and difficulties in concentrating on slower-paced activities like reading. Many children and adolescents are seen to suffer from attention deficit disorder or hyperactive behaviour due to extensive use of devices.

But that being said, parents and caregivers can play an essential role in mitigating these negative impacts through several strategies. Setting limits on screen time is crucial. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one hour of high-quality programming per day for children aged 2 to 5 years. Parents also watching movies and shows with their children and discussing content with them can enhance comprehension and critical thinking. Asking questions like, "How do you think the character felt?" or "What would you do in that situation?" can foster deeper understanding.

While visual media has become a staple in the lives of children, promoting diverse activities beyond screen time is equally important to ensure the holistic development of a student. Encouraging outdoor play, reading, and creative projects ensures children develop a range of skills and interests. Selecting high-quality content is another vital strategy. Look for programs that are educational, age-appropriate, and aligned with family values, particularly those that encourage positive social behaviours and problem-solving skills. Modelling healthy habits is also crucial. Children often mimic their parents' behaviours, so demonstrating balanced media use can positively influence them to do the same.