Anime, its impact on Syrian children, and a call to penetrate its industry.

Introduction:
Anime is a form of animation that originated in Japan and has become a global phenomenon. Emerging in the early 20th century, the first commercial anime film was produced in 1917. Since then, anime has grown significantly, becoming integral to Japanese and global culture.

Anime History:

Initially, anime served as a cost-effective alternative to live-action films, with advancements in techniques leading to popular works like Astro Boy in the 1960s. By the 1980s and 1990s, anime gained global fame, offering diverse genres for all age groups. For children, anime can be both educational and entertaining, fostering creativity and social skills when carefully curated.

Cons and Disadvantages:

Despite its benefits, anime may negatively affect children, particularly Syrian children, as noted by the Syrian Future Movement’s Family Affairs Office:

1. Inappropriate Content: Some anime includes violence or unsuitable themes.
2. Addiction: Excessive viewing impacts academics, sleep, and social activities.
3. Value Conflicts: Certain content may convey conflicting morals.
4. Health Issues: Prolonged screen time can lead to obesity and poor eyesight.

As for the disadvantages of anime for Syrian children, which we have observed and will address in a future study, they include:

1. Psychological Impact: Syrian children, already burdened by war and displacement, may experience heightened stress from violent anime content. This is evident in their strong response to violent games like war or wrestling, especially in camps.
2. Detachment from Reality: Anime can become a form of escapism, leading to disengagement from real-life challenges. Our study found a 20% decline in academic and social performance among children surveyed.
3. Lack of Supervision: Parental oversight of children’s viewing habits is minimal; only 5% of parents in the A‘azaz region use parental controls or monitor content.
4. Educational Challenges: Excessive anime watching exacerbates difficulties in focusing on education, especially given the hardships they face.

Therefore, the advice to reduce the negatives will first be represented by parental supervision. It is important for parents to monitor what children watch and choose anime that is appropriate for their ages. It is also necessary to set a specific time for watching anime to ensure it does not affect other daily activities. Additionally, it is beneficial for parents to discuss with their children what they are watching and explain the difference between fantasy and reality.

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Positives and Benefits:

Anime can have many positives for children in general, and for Syrian children in particular. Some of these positives include:

1. Stimulating creativity: Anime presents imaginative stories and stunning visuals, helping children develop their imagination and creativity.
2. Learning values and ethics: Many anime contain educational messages and moral values, such as friendship, courage, and teamwork.
3. Improving language skills: Watching anime in different languages can help children learn new words and phrases, enhancing their language skills.
4. Entertainment and fun: Anime provides an enjoyable way for children to spend their time, helping them relax and have fun.

As for the positives of anime on Syrian children, based on our social study, they are:

1. Escaping from a harsh reality: Anime can provide Syrian children with a way to escape the psychological pressures caused by war and displacement, helping them relax and reduce stress, which is both a positive and a negative.
2. Promoting hope and optimism: Many anime contain inspiring stories that foster hope and optimism, which can have a positive impact on the mental well-being of Syrian children.
3. Distance learning: Under difficult circumstances, anime can be an effective educational tool, as children can learn different subjects in an enjoyable and engaging way.
4. Enhancing social bonds: Watching anime can be a social activity that brings children together, strengthening their social connections and helping them form new friendships.

Based on these positives, there are tips for maximizing the benefits of anime, including choosing anime that is suitable for children’s ages and contains positive messages. Additionally, setting a specific time for watching anime is important to ensure it does not interfere with other daily activities. Therefore, it is beneficial for parents to watch anime with their children and discuss the content with them, which enhances understanding and provides an opportunity to guide children in the right direction.

In Economics and Values:

The anime industry is one of the largest entertainment industries in Japan, contributing significantly to the Japanese economy through revenues from broadcasting rights sales, related products, and films. This industry provides employment opportunities for thousands of people in various fields such as animation, writing, production, and marketing. Therefore, investing in anime can have substantial economic benefits for any country. For example, Saudi Arabia has started investing in the anime industry through “Manga Productions,” which aims to produce content reflecting Arab culture and values, boosting the local economy and exporting Arab culture worldwide.

Anime is not just an entertainment tool but also a powerful means of spreading values and ethics. Many anime series contain educational messages and moral values such as friendship, courage, and teamwork. Anime can be used to teach children virtuous values and promote positive behaviors. Thus, the Syrian mindset could benefit from producing anime that is globally recognized and firmly rooted nationally. The importance of involving Syrian institutions in the anime industry lies in:

1. Spreading virtuous values: Syrian institutions can use anime as a means to promote virtuous values and strengthen Syrian cultural identity by producing anime that reflects Syrian ethics and values. Children can learn these values in an enjoyable and engaging way.
2. Economic benefits: Investing in the anime industry could help boost the Syrian economy by creating new job opportunities and increasing revenues from broadcasting rights and related products. It could also aid in exporting Syrian culture globally, which could enhance tourism and international interest in Syria.
3. Supporting education: Anime can be an effective educational tool, especially in the difficult conditions faced by Syrian children. By producing educational anime, Syrian institutions can contribute to improving the quality of education and providing engaging and fun educational content for children.
4. Enhancing social connections: Anime could serve as a means of strengthening social ties among Syrian children by providing content that brings them together and encourages social interaction.

Investing in the anime industry can have significant economic and social benefits. By producing anime that reflects virtuous values and Syrian culture, Syrian institutions can contribute to enhancing cultural identity and achieving substantial economic benefits.

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Conclusion:

Anime can be a powerful tool for education and awareness if used correctly. To benefit from its positives and overcome its negatives, the Syrian Future Movement’s Family Affairs Office recommends the following:

1. Hold awareness workshops on how to choose appropriate anime for children and how to use it to teach positive values.
2. Encourage the production of local anime that reflects Syrian values and culture, enhancing national identity.
3. Monitor what children watch and guide them toward anime with positive and educational messages.
4. Discuss with children what they are watching and talk about the values and lessons learned from anime.
5. Support initiatives and companies producing local anime that promotes moral and educational values.
6. Establish laws and regulations to ensure that content aimed at children aligns with cultural and social values.
7. Seek anime that carries positive messages and promotes moral values.
8. Join anime communities that focus on positive content and exchange recommendations.
9. Invest in the local anime industry to create new job opportunities and boost the economy.
10. Use anime to promote tourist sites and Syrian culture, which can attract tourists (initially focusing on domestic tourism until a comprehensive political solution is reached) and boost the economy.
11. Ensure that anime contains stories that promote values such as honesty, cooperation, and courage.
12. Use anime as an educational tool in schools to enhance learning in an enjoyable and engaging way.

By following these recommendations, we believe that the Syrian community can benefit from anime in a positive way and promote virtuous values among children.

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Family Affairs Office
Research Team
Research and Studies Department
Studies
Syrian Future Movement

References:

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7. كيف استخدمت السعودية «الأنمي» لتصدير الثقافة العربية إلى العالم؟.
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