Saturday morning cartoons are a thing of the past

There was a time when children and teens had much to look forward to. Excitement and anticipation of Saturday morning were one of them. School was out, and cartoons were on television most of the day. This was our day, and adults easily gave up the TV for the five or six hours that cartoons were on. That day, however, is no more. Modern technology has changed this for younger generations.

Children today have nothing to look forward too. Everything is right at their access, whenever they desire.

With cable television and the Internet, they can access most any shows they desire, any time of the day or night. Thanks to Cartoon Network, and Boomerang, animated entertainment is available 24/7. All the old favorites can be found on these stations. And now Time Warner has announced, that the shows from Boomerang are available for live streaming. Programming favorites such as Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, and other throw back cartoons are available at the touch of a screen.

Animation has been changing for decades

Animated programming as we once knew it has been changing for decades. The Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes type of cartoon gave way to Claymation shows such as Gumby and Pokey. Then Pixar came along with the computer generated Toy Story series.

Once upon a time, children had to wait to see their favorite cartoons in reruns on television on Saturday morning. Then VHS tapes came along. After that were CD's and then the Blue Ray. Most homes were filled with tapes, CDs and Blue Rays. Or parents rented favorites from the local video store.

Live streaming any time

Now that animated classics can be live streamed, children and teens do not even need a television.

They can access their favorite shows from a lap top, tablet or even a smart phone. It can be done any day of the week. Saturday mornings therefore no longer hold the meaning for school age children that it once did.

These changes will simply me the normal mode of operation for the boys and girls growing up in this fast-paced technological era. Those of us, who grew up awaiting Saturday morning will go with the flow. And we will mourn for a simpler time that has been lost.