American expert warns about well-known toddler series: ‘It is addictive’
On her Instagram page, she regularly reviews toddler series, including the Netflix hit CoComelon.
Some kind of drug
“Small children, especially babies and toddlers, only see the sound and light effects, not the content,” Sannes begins her message. “CoComelon is so hyperstimulating that it acts like a drug, a stimulant.” She explains that the brain produces dopamine during screen time. The more stimuli, the greater the effect of the ‘drug’. The consequence? “Young children experience withdrawal symptoms and become disrupted.”
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Desire for incentives
Moreover, according to Sannes, children are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the speed (or rather: the slowness) of life. “The more they watch such series, the more the brain craves for the same amount of intense stimuli. This makes creative play without entertainment impossible,” said the expert. Sannes is clear: “CoComelon is dangerous and will likely provide for a generation of children with behavioral and attention problems.”
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Stress in children
She is also not pleased with the well-known pre-school and toddler series Peppa Pig, Brandweerman Sam and De Octonauten. The biggest culprits are extremely short scenes of a few seconds and an overkill of stimuli. Movies in which people have to be rescued also cause stress in children. “It can cause various behavioral problems. A child will try to process those stories by running after people, capturing them and commanding them,” says Sannes. Her recommendations for children? Series like TrashTruck, Guess How Much I Love You and Stella & Sam.
Source: Linda.nl, Jerrica Sannes
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