Why were cartoons seen as something for kids?

by Send_me_your_CV

Today you have animation for grown-ups, but it seems to me that pre-90s most animation was child-focused, and animation had a reputation as something for kids (it still does to a certain extent).

However, I also assume that making animated movies must have been much more expensive than just shooting a movie. The highest grossing movies have not been purely child oriented - so why weren't more animated movies made for this wider demographic, with the potential for greater earnings.

knoperope