Children, Children, Future, Future.

I really feel for the kids that are born and raised in the 21st Century. The political and economic climate doesn't exactly inspire confidence, the environment is in tatters, and education comes at such a high price that you begin to question its worth.

Much of what made being a kid fun in my day (tapping into my inner geriatric here) is no longer available to the present day rugrats. In particular, good quality cartoons.

Unless the child is lucky enough to belong to cable T.V suscribing family, their viewing choices are very limited.

As the years have gone by, major free-to-air television stations have come to neglect the needs of their youngest demographic. Although long standing children's hour as seen on ABC Kids are still running strong, the lack of choice is evident.

To be a child of the 90s meant that your parents were never to sleep. You would willingly rise at the crack of dawn to race to the living room, flipping through the television stations not sure of what to settle on. Along with ABC Kids, there was Agro's Cartoon Connection, and Cheeze T.V available for viewing, all with their own unique collection of quality cartoons: Batman, Spiderman, Sailor Moon, Scooby Doo (The Original Avendtures of Scooby Doo mind you), Babar, Tin Tin, Rugrats, X-Men, and oh so many more. It didn't stop there.

You painfully went through the school days only to tear home to choose between the afternoon programs. Warner Bros cartoons, both classic and new! Animaniacs, Looney Toons, Tiny Toons Adventures, as well as Ducktales, Hey Arnold, and ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE, just to name a few.

Let's not forget the game shows that you just dreamed to be a part of. Vidiot, Double Dare, and Amazing.

There were endless possibilities, laughter and most of all fun.

Saturday was your day, Saturday Disney followed by Disney movie marathons.

There was joy, and hope. It's tough being a kid, but at least there was someone in the land of television who could understand you and who knew what you needed. The adults may not listen to you, but at least Bugs Bunny did.

There's no joy like that for kids, no hope. Mornings are filled with Kochie and Mel, Karl and Whatsherface. All the cartoons have been taken away and dispered among the Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon on Foxtel or Austar, and whatever is left on free to air is just like the salmon that John West has rejected. Retarded Tasteless Junk.

The Gameshows are juvenile, compered by uncharismatic hosts who are quite obviously uncomfortable with children, make it apparent that they don't want to be there, and really don't look the part.



I mean, please, a suit! Because I know when I was 10, and I saw a suit, geeze that spelt a whole lot of fun.

Kids need a forum, and an outlet. Somewhere to turn to where they feel free to be themselves aswell as express themselves. There has been debate upon debate upon debate upon debate over the what hinders our children as opposed to what nurtures them. Everything that is marketed towards them comes under attack, scrutiny and censorship, and whilst I'm sure that this is all done with the best of intentions I think in the present day and age it has all gone a tad too far.

Restrictions placed on toys, televsion, books, computer games and even outside play has left them with basically nothing. And you wonder why kids have attitude?

They deserve a better future, but right now, they also deserve some fun. It's their basic human right.