Why Children Need Superheroes

Everyone who has kids has been exposed to Superheroes in some fashion. Whether it's Superman, Batman, Spiderman or the Power Rangers, you've heard of them. In the cases where children have developed a fascination with Superheroes, rest assured, this is not a bad thing. Superheroes have important messages to impart and the kids are listening!

I'll use my son, who is Autistic, as an example. He is completely and totally fascinated by heroes such as Spiderman, Superman and the Power Rangers. Not to mention Transformers and the Justice League. Now, for him, it's something of an obsession, but to me, it's a good thing. Frankly, I'd rather have him scripting snippets from Superman Returns, than Sponge Bob. Although, in all fairness to the Sponge, Matt has learned that swearing is not a good thing! This Sponge is no Superhero, but Matt got that message.

More often than not, these messages are visual because most Superheroes you'd see would be on TV or in the Movies as an animated character. Although, in recent years, many of our favorites have been brought to life on the big screen. Superman, specifically, has been both an animated character and a live-action character brought to life by the formidable Christopher Reeve. The message that my son took away from the movies was not about good battling and winning out over evil, but one about smoking.

On the roof top of the Daily Planet, in the most recent adaptation of the Superman franchise, we see Lois Lane and Superman talking. Lois is frantically trying to light a cigarette. At this, Superman simply tells her "Ms. Lane, you really shouldn't smoke." And she replies, "Let me guess, Lung Cancer, right?" At this point, using his X-Ray Vision, Superman tells her "No, not yet." The message is clear. Smoking is bad, and it can cause Lung Cancer. Matt picked up on this message, and now every time I light up a cigarette, he tells me the same thing. I asked him what he would do if someone offered him a cigarette. He simply said that he would say no! He got the message loud and clear. This isn't just about the fact that he knows he shouldn't smoke, it's about the fact that he most likely never will, because his hero, Superman, said that it's bad, so it's like gospel to him. He won't do it. Period.

Another one of his heroes is the Power Rangers. The various teams always seem to have a good message, even when they are battling evil. The central message is that teamwork is a valuable thing. They must work together as a team to defeat the evil they are all facing. While there is a leader, usually the Red Ranger, all of the Rangers must work together. This essentially has taught my son about teamwork. While he doesn't use it very often, in his own way he does understand the importance of it. He also learned that it's not always easy to be the leader, but when you have a good team working with you, anything is possible. Obstacles can be overcome with the right support. That's a fact of every day life.

The last message that I think has been imparted to him thru Batman and Spiderman, specifically, is that one person CAN make a difference. While these men work primarily alone, they are still trying to make a difference in the world. They have been given a gift, of sorts, and they are using it to try and change their little corner of the world.

I think that if every child tried to take some of these messages and impart them into their lives, it would make the world a little less evil, so to speak. If even one child said no to smoking or to using drugs because they firmly believe that their hero was right, then that's one less case of Lung Cancer, right? One less person who becomes addicted. One more person who has the ability to make a difference because they believed in what their heroes stood for. It doesn't mean that if you smoke, you can't make a difference. It just means that if you listen to your hero, you might have a little longer to make that difference.

For children with disabilities, they are more vulnerable to the poisons and bad influences of the world, because they can't always say no. But, if they listen to their heroes, it's possible that the next time someone offers them something that they shouldn't, they'll be able to say no with enthusiasm and understand why they did. And I for one, wish that I had listened to Superman. But, at least I know that my son has listened and won't repeat my mistake!

So, this last statement is for the creators of our heroes. Thank you! And to those heroes that make a difference even if they can't fly or swing from webs, Thank you! Sometimes being a Superhero isn't about your abilities, it's what you do with them that makes a difference. And if even one child hears your advice, your mission is accomplished. The world is full of Heroes. Are you one of them?