Young adults, children's entertainment and the virtue of magnanimity
By Fr. Ivan Chudzik, IBP - Attachment to children's entertainment prevents the soul from concentrating its forces in higher occupations in order to conquer what is "great", what is "excellent"
The following text is mostly based 1 on a lecture from Father Ivan Chudzik, IBP, (Belém, PA, Brazil). Father Ivan’s lecture is available in portuguese on YouTube Channel , IBP-Belem
Young adults must discern what is the reason they are still attached to certain children’s entertainment.
As much as it can be argued that to watch this or that movie, to play this or that video game, to read this or that fantasy, is not sinful in itself, nevertheless, there can be a certain disorder, a certain excessive attachment, and therefore there can be sin because the person goes less to the church, pray less, neglect their duties, doesn’t take appropriate rest (because is watching movies, playing, etc) and so on.
It is, in any case, a delay in maturation (to develop maturity) because it prevents the soul from aiming higher, it prevents the soul from concentrating its forces to conquer what is "great", what is "excellent". What belongs to the virtue of magnanimity.
The virtue of magnanimity is the virtue that aims for the greatness of the soul. (From latim, magnanimitas, where magna is "big", and animus is "soul"). It is that virtue that inclines us to the “great”, “excellent”. It is an aspiration to the greatness of virtue.
Magnanimity is not an attitude of pride, but a virtuous attitude, because it is that attitude of someone who loves virtue, and who wants to be virtuous, wants the greatness of virtue. That is… someone who aspires to the greatness of sanctity, of the saints.
Therefore, someone who wants to be virtuous, who wants to be a saint, must focus energy on pursuing the most excellent things. When he becomes attached to children's entertainment he is delaying this maturation and consequently he is also delaying his itinerary.
In another aspect, someone who is attached to children's entertainment, it is comfortable to stay with that attachment. He is comfortable to remain attached to lesser goods, which cost less, which bring less suffering, it is comfortable to be attached to which causes the most instantaneous pleasure.
It is comfortable to regularly read fantasy, to watch movies, to play games, because these things give immediate pleasure.
It is hard to read theology, books like Summa Theologiae from Saint Thomas Aquinas, Confessions from Saint Augustine, to wake up early every day and perform meditation for 30 minutes in silence, to visit the blessed sacrament daily, etc…
(In fact, to rejoice in virtue, requires practice for a long time. Because in the beginning virtue costs, one does not feel a reward, only as time passes, we rejoice in virtue. Even if it also brings suffering, even with that burden, it is only with time that we begin to rejoice with virtue, even if it costs, even if it weighs.)
A young adult who clings to children's entertainment, deep down, he is attached to a certain immediacy, attached to a more instantaneous pleasure, it costs less, brings a more instant reward, this is ultimately bad for true virtue and holiness, it is bad for the soul that should aspire to more excellent, more perfect occupations.
So if young people dedicate a lot of time, a lot of attention to entertainment that is typical of childhood (ludicrous readings, games, movies, series, bands, artists, sports players) it is a sign of immaturity, shall I say, one of the biggest signs of immaturity.
A father who has the same field of interest as his son, would not teach his son to aim for the greater goods. Goods beyond those who his son can already achieve during his childhood. And if the son sees that the father has the same field of interest as he does, how will the son learn to aim for greater goods? How will he be inspired to go beyond? How will he aspire for magnanimity? How??? If dad’s example is missing?
A father that sometimes goes to play with his son is fine, but if the son sees that the father is as addicted as he is, how will the son understand that there are superior goods to seek, to aspire… superior than his playful universe of a child, of entertainment, of fantasy, of fiction, of false heroes. The father is no longer a hero of that child, because the father himself is trapped in a fiction.
Finally, the waste of time with the ludicrous world, with the world of fiction, with the world of fantasy, is ultimately opposed to the virtue of hope. Because it is a replacement of the desire for heaven, it is a replacement for those more arduous occupations that lead us to holiness. It is a desire to stay in a "world" that was built to my height, a world that does not require sacrifice, a world that is easy to read, to watch, a world that brings immediate pleasure. Of course, spiritual progress depends a lot on us breaking away from the infantile world.
This is not a word-by-word transcription, but is heavely based on father Ivan’s lecture.