Our children live in a fantasy-based world in a medium that most people have access to. This medium does not require complex skills to obtain information, which is why cartoons have become a double-edged sword. We know that cartoons are aimed at children and therefore should have a positive influence on them, but this varies depending on the programming and control that parents have over their children. Most children are attracted to the world of television long before they even enter school. In 2009, in an article written by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), it was reported that each American child under the age of 6 watched on average about 2 hours of screens per day, primarily television (1495-1946) . Although cartoons are considered entertainment that gives children the opportunity to burst out laughing; it can also cause a series of problems in a child's development that can be detrimental to the foundation of a human being. BackgroundCartoons are cinematic techniques that make static elements such as puppets or figures appear objects, which move on their own, seem real. The Oxford Dictionary of word Origins defines the term cartoon as follows: Art lovers will know that cartoons were not originally meant to be funny. These were originally life-size drawings made on paper to outline a painting, fresco or tapestry. The word appears to have become attached to cartoons in the modern sense in the 19th century, with the first mention of its use coming from Punch magazine in 1843. The word was applied to animated films in the early 20th century. are cartoons for all ages, from infants to seniors. “In 1937, Walt Disney Studios released their first fully animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and pioneered the fight against obesity. Nurse Practitioner 35.2 (2008): ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source. ProQuest. Internet. November 23, 2011 “Cartoon” Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins. by Julia Cresswell. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Columbia Basin College. December 1, 2011 http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t292.e864Rochman, Bonnie. "Fast-paced cartoons like SpongeBob can hurt children's concentration." Times Magazine. September 12, 2011: 1-2. Walt Disney Animation Studios. Disney. December 1, 2011. http://www.disneyanimation.com/aboutus/history.html "Watching SpongeBob SquarePants May Cause Short-Term Attention and Learning Problems [ET Cetera]." The Economic Times (en line) September 15, 2011. ABI/INFORM Commerce and Industry. ProQuest. Internet. November 23, 2011.Zoglin, Richard and Tynan, William. “Is television ruining our children? Times Magazine October 15. 1990: 1-3.