Stimulating TV Shows
Most of us know about the televsion show for babies and toddlers, Cocomelon. Recently people have been bringing attention to the thought that Cocomelon is a show that deteriorates children’s attention spans, and some parents have even stopped turning it on for their children altogether.
But how are shows such as Cocomelon, one that babies and toddlers seem to love, bad for them?
Pediatricians have informed parents that just because a children’s show is described as “educational” does not mean that they are. Jerrica Sannes, a child development expert with an MEd in early childhood has said on Instagram, “Cocomelon is so hyperstimulating that it actually acts as a drug, a stimulant.”
While this is not the case for all babies and children, for many they become dependent on these stimulating shows that only cause negative effects when they are deprived from it.
Working with children for about seven years now in daycare centers and babysitting gigs, it has always been my go-to to turn on Youtube videos like Baby Shark, Cocomelon, Little Baby Bum, and Baby Einstein. When a baby was crying, that was my first instinct to calm them down — and most of the time it worked. I did not realize at the time that these were all overly-stimulating and possibly negatively impacting the child.
So — what is the solution?
Researchers and doctors say that moderation is key. It is okay to turn on Cocomelon once and a while to calm a child down, but when it is played every time that a child is crying, or played as “background” for children to stay distracted, is when it becomes a larger problem.
