“Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten”
Remember this touching line from one of our favorite cartoon in old times, Lilo and Stitch?
Youths nowadays are too fascinated with watching cartoons, anime and surfing the internet that it makes a big difference in their lives. It becomes an obsession that severely affects their growth. One of these is “broken family films”
A lot of films today, -specifically children’s films- are now focused on broken families. And I just noticed that most of the children’s films start with the family broken, where the parents are divorced, or one of the parents is deceased or they have abandoned their children.
According to Steven D. Greydanus’ blog about “Broken Family Films,” That being in a broken family, or specifically divorce, became normal nowadays. And according to him “broken family films” term is ambiguous it can mean family films that is about broken family or family films that are complete but has an idea of brokenness, even though they are complete it has a sense of lacking something.
Well for me broken family films, either they are complete or not as long as the plot of the story pertains to family experiencing brokenness it is considered to be a part of that category. But what do these films do to the youth?
Will this bring positive or negative thoughts in the youth’s mind? One example is “Lilo and Stitch” (an example of broken family film where parents died). Although the child, Lilo, acted negatively about their situation at the beginning, her sister handled her with patience and discipline that’s why Lilo had a positive perspective and outlook in life. That would also influence the viewers to have a positive outlook in life despite experiencing situations. Another example is “Zathura,” a story about two brothers with the older brother blaming his younger brother for the divorce of their parents, wishing that he was not born. Their father is having a hard time to play both roles of a father and a mother that made the kids compare him to their mother.
For me bad handling of a father is portrayed because, in the movie the father does not mind if his children are disrespecting him (which is somehow a reality for others). Causing the viewers, especially kids, to imitate the movie. There is a possibility for youths to think that being a stubborn and rebellious child is cool. Another is the negligence of the brother is portrayed. Kids are always going to be at their exploring stage and they should have proper guidance while growing. It is the moment wherein they are still building things in their mind.
“Going forward means learning to play the game: to take turns; to spin the dial and take what comes; to move along the track set before you.” says, Steven D. Greydanus
The main thing of the movie is “you can’t go home without finishing the game.” The game is all about “restoration” that represents “having a desire to restore the family again.”
Because of this very influential media, as well as the representation of useless or single parents provides an unfit role model for younger people. It’s even worse that they’re left and expose in front of the television at an early age. In conclusion, young people should not be left in front of the television, specifically the programs where it will affect them in a negative way unless they are instilled with proper guidance.
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