Why Hey Arnold!, SpongeBob, And Other Kid Cartoons Might Be The Self-Care You Need

By Kim Hoyos


I get to my bedroom, grab a meal, and curl up in bed to watch some Hey Arnold. The theme song begins to play as I lay back and gear up for another familiar adventure. Arnold will likely save his companions from some neighborhood bully by finding a way to humanize them. Helga will still be in love with Arnold however not tell him. Grandpa Phil will usually attempt to teach Arnold a lesson in a weird however sweet way. I know how the episode will end, and however, I’m still excited to be able to see how the kids of P.S. 118 solve their problems. It’s 2019, I’m 23, and I still watch kid cartoons.


Watching TV is a way to escape into another world — especially for just 1/2 hour. As a kid, the reasons to watch cartoons as a form of entertainment were obvious: They’re marketed toward you with toys, apparel, books, snacks, decor, and more. Although as a young adult, those marketing methods don’t completely apply. So why can’t I shake my seemingly childish taste in television?


As adults, there really are cartoons specifically created for us. From Big Mouth to Family Guy, adult cartoons have been a formidable genre for years, mixing the creativity of the brightly colored make-believe with the heavier themes of life right after puberty, like mental health or toxic relationships. Unlike kid cartoons, the characters in adult cartoons might not directly habitually find a solution to their issues or beat their world’s evil — case in point, as in Rick and Morty, the main character may be the villain. Adult cartoons are amusing, however what they supply is just so different from their childlike counterpart.


Kid cartoons, meanwhile, explore the world through optimism and friendship, even as soon as the main character is facing challenges. Unbound by the physical limitations of live-action shows, cartoons employ an endless provide of adventure and creativity to freely take the story wherever it needs to go. There’s a sense of unbridled wonder watching Ginger Foutley navigate her first serious crushes while also rushing to finish poetry projects, avoid her brother’s science assignments, and still keep up with her best companions. And trust me, you’ll find yourself laughing at concealed jokes even on the episodes you’ve seen already. Watching kid cartoons is a sweet, simple fun that routinely hits the spot — and I’m not the only one who thinks so.


But although it’s more and more normal to question the collective maturity level of the younger generations, the reality is that gravitating toward sweetness and nostalgia over real-world heaviness doesn’t indicate anyone’s level of intelligence or emotional depth. We reside in an age where the 24/7 news cycle is dominated by Trump’s antics, gun violence, and constant tragedy, and an influx of intelligence is hurled at us through the endless notifications, updates, and posts. Watching kid cartoons for comfort might not directly consciously seem like the self-care we’ve right now become used to plucking off of shelves, categorizing from subscription services, or tracking on our phone, nevertheless that’s basically what it is: taking the time to do something nice for yourself just for the sake of your own well-being.


Television is, at its essence, entertainment, a way to relax. It’s not meant to habitually require all of the brain power we can muster. As soon as I watch Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! I’m not expecting to uncover some greater truth about humanity. I’m watching because I love those meddling kids and their mischievous dog. I’m not watching Phineas and Ferb to pay off my student cash advances faster; I’m watching because I know those kids are somehow going to escape the wrath of their older sister and it’s hilarious every time. They’re shows I can plan on to put me in a good mood.


“Through escapism and fantasy, we can rest and recharge the creativity in our brain plus it just accommodates us reset our priorities in own own reality,” says Nathaniel Cilley, LMHC, a NYC-based mental health counselor and life coach who specializes in anxiety. He contends that cartoons won’t solve all of our problems, although “it can have its place” in helping us unwind. “The newer generation and younger millennials are holding onto a lot of positives of childhood, and just because it might seem different, I don't think it's scary or negative. I think it’s therapeutic.”


More than being therapeutic, NYC-based mental health counselor Diego Muñoz adds that kid cartoons can be segment of a healthy “entertainment diet” at any age. “Some entertainment can speak to the human condition and not be simplistic, while other forms are meant to be superficial,” he mentioned. “If folks are able to balance their entertainment diet, they can have a higher end perspective on their life and the world.”


Essentially, Muñoz encourages all of us to find our own way to decompress from the harsh realities most adult media explores, and sees the wholesome innocence of kid cartoons as one way to do that. Did the latest episode of The Handmaid’s Tale leave you reeling? Perhaps an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants will assist set you straight. And that’s not a maturity indicator; that’s a human symptom. Folks are inherently dynamic and make choices based on what suits their life best. By watching what you desire to watch despite what others might think, you’re setting yourself up for a well-rounded, worldly perspective.


And it’s reaffirming to watch shows whose main lessons are about how to be a good friend or how to stay true to yourself. Watching kid shows reminds me that we were once all stumbling, attempting to understand the world, and in several ways we still are. With these cartoons, there’s safety in the fact that, at the end of the episode, each person is OK and the good character prevails. That’s something that can’t be mentioned about real life as soon as our friendships hit a rough patch or our career isn’t quite where it might would be. With their gentle reminders of life’s earliest lessons, kid cartoons not only be able to shape the world of a child, nevertheless to help adults understand themselves in truly incredible ways.


it may mean my Hulu history some days reflects that of a 6-year-old, nevertheless in the end, I know who I am and what I love, and that carries a distinct appreciation for a marathon of all my animated faves. If professionals imagine watching kid cartoons to be therapeutic, then Hilda or Kim Possible can shamelessly live side-by-side with “mature” practices like face masks and meditation apps. Adulthood constantly confronts us with new challenges to defeat, and the ways we cope with those growing pains are several. Some days, all I need is 22 minutes of sweet refuge.