Innovate the Out-of-Date: Progression of children’s media shouldn’t be seen as “sensitive” or “soft”

“Dr. Seuss Books: Cancelled” — those words were plastered on my Instagram stories and across news networks for days. Following the announcement, outraged social media users took to multiple platforms, ranting about how children will be raised too “soft” and that cancel culture has been “taken too far.” 

When Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced the discontinuation of six Seuss books in early March, they explained that the ‘books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,’ and they want to be a company who ‘represents and supports all communities and families’ — a decision that’s completely necessary and well overdue. 

At first, I understood the frustration and passive-aggressive tweets. They’re classic stories that were a big part of some of our childhoods. But can you honestly tell me your world has been completely rocked by the fact that no more copies of “On Beyond Zebra!” will be printed from now on? 

I too grew up reading stories like “If I Ran the Zoo” and “McElligot’s Pool.” As a three-year-old, I wasn’t phased nor aware of the racist caricatures in the books —  but that’s the point. We as a society become more educated and aware everyday of how to respect others and what can be perceived as offensive, and a child’s young and innocent age doesn’t change the importance of that. Just because culturally insensitive drawings of a Japanese man were acceptable when the book was published 84 years ago doesn’t mean it’s acceptable with today’s standards.  

Sure, there are plenty of other significant problems going on in the world, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pay attention to these seemingly smaller, but equally as necessary, issues. Instead of whining about how future children will never get to experience the “classics,” we should be asking ourselves “Why has it taken so long for us to realize the disrespect in these stories?”

According to a study conducted by the Association for Psychological Science, children begin to form racial biases as early as three years old, and those biases become fixed by the age of seven. The offensive terms and drawings in the Dr. Seuss books can quickly impact the young kids reading it. It’s important for kids to learn what is and isn’t okay when it comes to respecting other cultures, religion and sexualities, along with anyone else that’s different from their own. 

The discontinuation of racially insensitive books isn’t the only way children’s media has evolved. Books and toys are already much more culturally conscious and diverse than what I experienced only 10 years ago. From the content warnings on Disney+ before potentially offensive movies like “Pocahontas” and Mr. Potato Head changing its name to simply “Potato Head”, current and future generations of children are starting to see diversity and acceptance normalized in their daily lives. 

Would I have become a more understanding LGBTQ+ ally if I’d grown up with gender neutral Potato Head toys? Maybe, maybe not, but today’s children will certainly benefit. The idea of non-binary and gender neutral being normalized in day-to-day toys will eliminate the taboo conversations around sexual orientation and identity. 

The progression in toys, books and movies is not an overreaction, it’s basic respect and the morally right thing to do. Today’s children are not going to be “too sensitive” or sheltered. And even so, what’s wrong with sensitivity? Sensitivity plays into compassion, and I think we can all agree the world needs more compassionate people. 

We have to realize the the world we live in today is not nearly the same as it was in the 1930s. We’ve grown, and we’re continuing to grow and continuing to learn. So let go of the past and recognize how far we’ve come. I promise the world will still turn even without “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.”