Let’s Talk About Cocomelon
Screentime.
Everyone has an opinion. Some of us follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (www.aacap.org), carefully limiting our children’s exposure to digital content. Others—myself included—tried to restrict it as much as possible until that one weekend when the entire family was taken down by a stomach bug, and suddenly, screens became our lifeline. When two parents are bedridden, Daniel Tiger and Blippi are the only babysitters available.
But I’m not here just to talk about screentime limits. Yes, it’s an important topic. Yes, you should proceed with caution when allowing your children to watch YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, or any other streaming service.
But why should we be wary? What’s actually happening behind the scenes of children’s media?
Well, The New York Times published an article on May 5, 2022, about Moonbug Entertainment. If you’re not familiar with that name, you’re definitely familiar with their work. Moonbug is the powerhouse behind about 29 of the most popular children’s shows online, including Blippi, CoComelon, Little Baby Bum, Morphle, and more.
They operate on 150 platforms and produce content in 32 different languages. Their reach is nothing short of staggering.
In March of that year, Moonbug’s content racked up 7.8 billion views on YouTube. In a single month. That’s not a typo. That’s billions, with a B.
So what makes them so successful? Why do kids latch onto their content like bees to honey?
The article goes into detail about Moonbug’s process for producing videos, and it’s both fascinating and a little unsettling. They don’t just make content and hope kids like it. They scientifically engineer content to ensure kids are glued to the screen. Nothing is left to chance.
Here’s an example: Moonbug runs tests where they sit children in front of a video while a distraction video plays alongside it. If a child’s attention wavers, if they so much as glance away, Moonbug pauses the video and tweaks it. Maybe the scene needs a brighter color. Maybe a yellow bus will hold a child’s focus better than a blue one. Maybe a girl with red hair is more engaging than one with blonde hair. They keep testing and adjusting until they find a version that keeps a child locked in with unwavering attention.
And THIS is what we need to talk about.
What are we doing to our kids? What happens when their media is optimized not for quality, creativity, or storytelling, but for maximum view retention? What happens when every scene is meticulously designed to keep their attention and flood their brains with dopamine?
It’s no secret that children’s content has changed over the years. Many of us grew up with slower-paced shows—Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Blue’s Clues—programs that encouraged thoughtfulness and interaction. Today’s shows move faster, brighter, and louder. And some of that is fine! But when media companies are actively fine-tuning every second to be as stimulating as possible, we have to ask: is this engagement or is this addiction?
Now, I don’t think all TV and YouTube channels are bad (I have one myself). There’s a difference between creating meaningful, enriching content and creating media that hijacks a child’s attention. There’s a difference between engaging a child and engineering their brain chemistry to need constant positive stimulation.
So where do we draw the line? How do we, as parents and caregivers, navigate this digital world responsibly?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Is this just the new way of the world? Or should we be taking a step back and reconsidering the kind of content our kids are consuming?
For the full article by David Segal, check out the original piece here: Moonbug Article by David Segal.
