“Oh my child is addicted to CoComelon!” It’s a popular phrase you’ll likely hear around your playgroups and innocently used to express just how much a person’s child loves the hit Netflix show.
But what if we told you that they could possibly be addicted to the program?
A video posted by @thecircusbrain on TikTok has revealed how and why the show, filled with bright colours and catchy nursery rhymes, might be deemed addictive for children.
“Someone just told me about this show called CoComelon and apparently for kids, it’s like crack. So I decided to look into why it might be and here’s just a little example as to why it might be,” he explains.
Proof that CoComelon is addictive
The TikToker then shows a clip from another animated TV show, My Little Pony, which changes scenes every four or so seconds, allowing the little viewers to completely capture every element in each scene.
He then crosses over to an episode of CoComelon, explaining: “Let’s see how long it takes for each one of these scenes to change.”
The episode shows that the average of each scene is just one to two seconds, meaning that children are constantly gripped and unable to turn away and get distracted because the show is so fast-paced.
The video has had 4.2 million views and many have been left gobsmacked by the observation.
“So it’s overstimulating their brain?!” one worried follower asked.
“It’s the overstimulation…it’s almost the same as using a drug,” another claimed.
And another added: “Great point. We’re raising a generation of kids with no attention spans.”
What the experts say
Evie magazine recently looked into the theory about CoComelon being addictive and when they spoke with child development specialists, they didn’t disagree with the conclusion.
Jerrica Sannes, an expert in early childhood, development and education, claimed the show was not only overstimulating, it’s also likely to cause behavioral problems and attention disorders.
“CoComelon is so hyper-stimulating that it acts as a drug, a stimulant. The brain receives a hit of dopamine from screen time, and it seems that the stronger the ‘drug’, the stronger the ‘hit’,” she told the publication.
Jerrica then explains how a strong dopamine hit can cause a child’s brain to experience symptoms of addiction and withdrawal – resulting in them lashing out when it’s time to switch off.
CoComelon fans have questions
Despite what the TikTok video highlighted and what some experts claim, fans of the show were not convinced by the theory.
“People always assume the negative. Small children have a short attention span so the changes are quick to keep them entertained,” one parent insisted.
“It’s really no different for us adults using TikToks. we also have short attention spans,” another agreed.
And another said she knew exactly why her children love the show – and it has nothing to do with how fast each scene turns over.
“I think my kiddos like it so much because of the repetitive music. My speech-delayed 3-year-old now sings songs she’s heard on Cocomelon independently.”
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