“The wheels on the bus go round and round”, this is how catchy and innocent the lyrics of one of the most famous songs by CoComelon, a renowned YouTube channel designed to entertain babies and young children, look. However, This visual and musical content could cause unusual tantrums and even impair their ability to speak.. Because?
For children, CoComelon is a show of bright colors, movements and the appearance of a complete family where a baby, who laughs and cries according to the theme, is the protagonist.
Dr. Kassie Hanson, pediatric speech pathologist in Nebraska and owner of the blog Talk 2 Me Mamaexplains at the beginning that according to previous research “Television for children under 2 years of age can have a negative impact on attention, cognition and communication”. In this sense, he assures that «they need to interact more with people, not with screens.»
He also notes that after the age of 2, the ideal is for television time to be limited and for parents to watch programs with them, so that «they can teach them concepts and interact during that time.»
Regarding CoComelon and other similar cartoons, Dr. Kassie Hanson explains that “Fast-paced programs with low-quality content can be especially harmful, adding little or no value and overstimulating your child’s brain.”.
“They may have tantrums when the tablet or TV is turned off, due to the addiction and the reaction generated.”in addition to the fact that these low-quality programs promote bad behavior, from responding to parents to hitting other children,” analyzes the expert.
The problems with CoComelon abound from TikTok, where some users have been sharing cases of their children, who not only become addicted to the songs, but suffer from a delay in their ability to speak. Likewise, they claim that after switching to another type of content, their children began to develop words and control tantrums or tantrums.
There is no scientific study to support the “harms” of CoComelon in children
This is a reality raised by Dr. Rebecca G. Cowan, professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Walden University in Minneapolis. Despite the complaints found on social networks, There is no definitive evidence that points to CoComelon as a channel that affects the behavior and development of children, especially those under 2 years of age..
“Without empirical research on the show, there is no data to support claims that this show is overstimulating due to the pacing of the scenes,” Dr. Cowan reiterated.
But there is evidence about the potential harm that excess television can cause.
A study from the University of Alberta, in Canada, revealed that Children who spend more than two hours a day in front of a screen are up to 5 times more likely to have symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)compared to those who only stayed 30 minutes or less.
And that’s where Dr. Kassie Hanson focuses: “If screen time replaces interactions with caregivers and peers, for example, your child is more likely to have a speech delay.”
In short, everything must be done in moderation and supervision. Perhaps the fault lies not with CoComelon, which can certainly cause addiction, but with the time given between colors and songs.
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