Begging the internet to stop using "emotional labor" to mean "thinking about things".
this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2025
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And “mental gymnastics”! Stop fucking up terms that have a useful consensus meaning that helps us communicate concepts.
How are people misusing that term now?
Yeah, I'm ADHD af, but I have never experienced "emotional labor" about watching a TV show lol
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Maybe this person’s job is to watch and react to TV shows and they’re tired of the emotional rollercoaster of Kdramas and just want to watch some Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood.
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We're watching different children's shows...
Most children's shows from my childhood ('80s/'90s) were glorified toy commercials. Hardly any plot, every conflict was resolved by the end of the episode, and the status quo was always maintained. You could watch episodes in any order and you wouldn't miss out on anything important.
Not to mention, they had absolutely no standards for voice acting. Anyone could come in off the street and read lines and they'd put it in the show.
I was surprised when I watched children's shows today and found they had interesting plots and stories with real emotional stakes. Steven Universe, Avatar, Miraculous Ladybug, OK K.O., The Owl House, Samurai Jack, etc.
My wife and I started watching some children's shows with our young niece and nephew and we got so hooked, we went home and tracked them down to keep watching on our own! I wish I had shows like this when I was a kid.
Samurai Jack especially is a work of art
I describe the age from Gravity Falls (maybe even started with Avatar) to the end of The Owl House as the platinum age of cartoons. So many stories and so many engaging fandoms. It’s not dead right now but it feels like we’re in a bit of a drought.
My favorite kids show right now is Bluey. My wife and I don’t have kids and don’t want kids (at least for a while more) but we love watching Bluey. I’ve teared up too many times because it’s so relatable as an adult and it’s not just made for the kids. There’s jokes and references that only adults can get, but not crude.
Gravity Falls is another excellent one! I was so sad when it ended. I wanted more! But I agree with it's creator, Alex Hirsch, that it needed to have a definite end so it doesn't drag on forever and eventually get bland.
My wife and I tried to watch Bluey, but it felt like it was specifically made for parents and their kids, and we can't have children. So we had trouble getting into it. Which is a shame, because I hear from other adults how great that show is.
Go watch the Transformers movie from 1987. That shit went hard.
Them being fine out of order was ok when it applied to morality. Like I consider how my life would be different if thundercats and batman didnt shove the morality of the episode into my head. Shows today do it better but the difference is kids today can actually watch every episode in order vs the rng of a child's ability have access to a TV at the right time.
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Just watch Adventure Time they said, it's just peacefully and good vibes, they said.
Yeah the first 2 seasons are just that pretty much.
True, which makes them pretty boring to watch as an adult. Then, they give much more depth to the characters which makes the rest of the show very captivating.
No emotional labor
Am I watching the wrong kid shows? 🤔
No, you're watching the right ones.
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Why are we calling everything neurodivergent now?
These shows are written by adults, surely adults can enjoy them. Not everything needs to be the Illiad to have a complex plot, intriguing character development and a poignant message.
Of course I'm talking about Gravity Falls.
Just watch British panelshows instead. Bunch of comedians having fun.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI1rSkG4DisyVX-goEk8B2c-9H05nUIAT
definitely no emotional trauma from she-ra 😭
I think I've watched more kids shows than adult shows in the past couple years but just because they're good shows!
Gravity falls? 😈
Eh, I like to watch animated shows just because they're visually so much easier, though I usually just watch animations made for adults. I'm partially face blind, have trouble with reading emotions and on top of it acted stuff always has tons of details as visual clutter as well, which I cannot stop looking at. Drawn characters are made to be easy to differentiate visually, the emotions they show are also visually simplified, and animation just can't have as many details. It just takes so much less to watch something animated
do you also use subtitles with everything? I've got tinnitus, so i appreciate the help (plus if we ever want to talk we can and still catch the dialog).
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More of a tastes thing over an emotional labor thing, but I absolutely LOVE animated kids shows/movies so much more than any other type of show/movie.
Hell, been thinking recently about taking one of the OCs I have for the show Franklin, updating his backstory a little, and writing more fanfiction of him. Cringe? Maybe, but who cares!
Your fanfic readers care, if the changes suck 😆
Not just emotional but intellectual. Video games to. I would be on mmo's and there was the pvpers type who wanted the game to be more challenging and then rp types like me that were like. I don't want a challenge I want to play with toys. Zoom Zoom. pew pew.
The common mistake of mistaking a "children's show" based on something Astrid Lindgren wrote, for something that's emotionally light weight.
I guess that would count for Shaun the Sheep, not so much for Bluey
I kind of watched them for different reasons. I think I started watching them because I had the idea I could filter out what shows I would let my future children watch but in doing so, I ended up liking the shows. Sarah and Duck is a nice one. Love Masha and the Bear.
Does passive consumption require labour?
Yeah
I watched all of Phineas and Ferb after I got my first job. The pros of getting an income and trying out all the things you parents didn't let you do as a kid.
Are you stalking me?
I find turning the color off (black and white) helps me to not get overwhelmed.
Also, the nice colours, and the plots that are actually internally consistent and flow logically. And the characters that aren't all brooding, narcissistic assholes.
Good idea!
Settles in to watch the Nami's background/Arlong arc in One Piece.
You can watch slop without it having anything to do with any neurodivergence whatsoever.
oh dude we'd take at least a week between episodes of Broadchurch. Grew to miss those breaks the networks would give us.
Does "Murder, She Wrote" count?
I don't know, but there are so many murders in that town! 😅
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She is the new Valve logo?
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