I dare you to grow up! (by Mercedes)

 I still remember when I was a child how much I wanted to be older. I used to envy my older sisters because I thought that growing up was amazing. They could go out with their friends and also choose what clothes they would wear. They were free and I wanted a piece of that freedom too. Now, as an adult, I realize that things are not so simple but I still think that growing up is something amazing since it makes me who I am today. However, this positive vision towards adulthood is not always shared. Many of the movies for children show that growing up is sad and depressing. The movie Boss Baby is one of them. It has a nice message of brotherhood since it shows how Tim, a 7-year-old boy learns how to be a good brother. However, this movie has another not-so-nice message as regards growing up. In fact, the movie Boss Baby is a bad influence for children because it shows that growing up is something negative.

In the movie, after being grounded by his parents, Tim decides to try to get along with Baby, his little brother. Baby tells him that he is a secret agent of Baby Corp, a company where babies come from. He also tells him that he is incapable of growing up since he drinks a special baby formula which allows him to think and behave as an adult while remaining young. Baby’s mission is to investigate Puppy Corp, a company which has created a puppy who never grows up or dies. Through this plot, the movie promotes the idea that if you grow up you will be substituted. Babies and puppies have an expiration date, so if they become older they will be replaced with someone cuter and younger.

During the family day, Tim, Baby, and their parents go to Puppy Corp. When Tim and Baby sneak in to investigate the place, they are caught by Francis, the CEO of the corporation. Francis reveals that he was the admired old boss of Baby Corp, but since his body was intolerant to the formula, he was kicked out and forced to live with a family. As a result, he created Puppy Corp as a revenge on his old corporation. Francis explains that once you grow up you don’t receive all the love and attention you had when you were younger, and this will make you a bitter and frustrated person. What Francis explains is that childhood is the only stage of our life in which we only receive love and that as we grow up, the amount of it begins to decrease since we are not the focus of attention anymore. As a result, adults are forgotten and they become frustrated. So, if you want to be loved, don’t grow up.

Boss Baby is a bad influence for children because it shows them that their future as adults will be dark and sad. Children should not be influenced by any movie to lose their dreams of becoming adults because even though growing up is not an easy ride, it is part of their lives and it is essential to discover who they really are.