We give Cambria free reign over Netflix and Amazon Prime. She is regularly finding new shows.

Several days ago she challenged us slightly for a minute. She found Family Guy and was burning through some episodes, and I forgot how vulgar the show was. After a little discussion, I thought it was fine and tolerable and Rose decided it was best to not restrict things.

This morning I thought about it a little more while watching some episodes of Blue’s Clues with Cambria. I think Family guy is vastly better than Blue’s Clues for her. Blue’s Clues is basic and redundant. It doesn’t represent life in any meaningful way. It addresses very few concepts of the world in a sterilized fashion without context.

Family guy was chalked full of vastly more complex issues in such a way that is more challenging, interesting and contextual. There are some raunchy jokes that, luckily, go over her head … but otherwise it handles many ideas in a more realistic way that doesn’t limit her cognition into a narrow realm that adults foolishly prescribe in order to plan the life of individuals.

I would never suggest for someone to replace Blue’s Clues with Family Guy. I would suggest for people to allow their children freedom to watch many forms of media including Blue’s Clues and Family Guy. A child ought not be challenged with advanced concepts when they watch TV. We have many desires that media can address in various forms, and when we have freedom, our choices will generally be subconsciously guided to fill the desire our mind wishes to fulfill in the most productive way possible.

The media we consume, the friends we have, our choices in play, our decisions of how to spend our time all have many various and complex purposes to them. Usually, we can’t even identify the roots of our own desires. When freedom exists, we can let our curiosity, drive and subconscious lead us in a direction that is going to be more productive than the prescriptions others have for us. Curiosity is the best educator.