The Key To True Social Change: Children's Entertainment

By: Kemi-Ali Wessie

After the the dying down of all the memes and GIFS related to the Debby Ryan in Radio Rebel

sneaky side smirk and re-showing of Disney classics Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly

Place I got to thinking about how much of a change has occurred in the topics of mainstream

visual content. Shows and movies can't just exist without ensuring that the topics, narratives,

characters, lines, costume and more align with the current values of the present culture of this

generation. But if there's been this change in mentality of mainstream entertainment; what does

that mean for younger audience members? What are children's entertainment companies doing

to adapt to social changes?

Image By Getty Images

We are yet to see a new children's show that confidently includes characters belonging to the

LGBTQIA+ community. Sure, they are focused on entertaining kids and tackling social issues and

topics may not be included in that focus, however, can present social issues not be engineered

to be more entertaining? They've done it before with regards to issues of bullying, social media,

types of family arrangements, environmentalism and the ever popular contrasting battle

between good and bad; surely the problems we're facing now can be included in that?

Thanks to constant developments in ICT and social culture it is easier than ever to regulate

acceptable behaviour that reflects that social culture. Usually though "cancel culture" we are

able to turn on companies and people as quickly as they jumped into our view as a result of their

refusal to exercise their support of that social culture. If these companies and people fail to

show concern for environmental issues, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender based violence cases and any

and all topics related to race, culture and religion; they're cancelled completely and in a couple of

months you'd wear they didn't even exist.

So why don't we hold children's entertainment companies to the same bench-marked standard?

They mould the minds of the future and cannot be allowed to continue disseminating narratives

that don't reflect the change that has occurred or the change that we hope to evoke. If we truly

want to see a change in how marginalized groups are treated it needs to start with the younger

generation. Although, the possibility of these companies facing unforgettable scrutiny and

ultimate drastic loss of financial support from big investors should not be considered. But the

bigger issue to consider should be why these popular companies and their investors should be

allowed to continue having such an overarching impact on social change?

In a time where we are all focused on trying to topple pyramids of inequality and injustice we

need to judge and force change on everything that makes up our existence on this planet at

present. This includes children's entertainment. HM