For the upcoming generation, YouTube has become home to educational videos. Those who are now grown and in college once witnessed record history while the company still grew. In 2012, Gangnam
Style was the first song to hit one billion views. Only a few years ago, the most subscribed YouTuber, PewDiePie, hit 100 million subscribers. Ten years later, these celebrations have become common, and
have faded out of hype. However, one category has been infamous for dominating numbers and causing
catastrophic records: nursery rhymes.
The ruler of this genre is a channel called CoComelon, claiming more than 140 million subscribers and three billion monthly views. The company is far from the number one subscribed, with the Indian company T-Series obtaining 220 million subscribers. Although, with rising views and a steady trajectory, CoComelon is on the route to passing in less than a decade.
CoComelon is a YouTube Kid’s show founded in 2005 and aired later in 2006. Founded by Jay Jeon, his wife, and two sons, launched what was originally called That’s Me on TV on YouTube. In 2018, numbers grew from 3 million subscribers to 31 million. In later years, CoComelon was sold to Moon Bug Entertainment for a disclosed amount of money. Now, the show is streamed more on Netflix than Squid Games and Bridgerton combined (Neilson, 1).
During the beginning of the pandemic, demand for screen time grew as parents became remote workers. According to Parrot Analytics, the need for children’s entertainment spiked by 52%, meaning while children were home, their attention had to be held by live-streaming television.
The show thrives on two important factors: bright colors and constant perspective changes.
Social media, such as TikTok and Instagram, has lowered many individuals’ attention spans (The Science Times, 2). With smart devices being at the ends of your fingertips, it is relatively easy to appease boredom. However, to obtain and become the “next big hit”, it must be able to keep your attention.
Being able to obtain instant gratification with tablets comes down to one factor – parents. During the 1980s and 90s, television and cartoons became blamed for raising children. Due to children lacking self-restraint, it was easy to sit down and lose hours of the day by channel-surfing. The only limit was the inability to move around the television; children were forced to stay in one spot but were offered variety in what they watched. Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network shuffled through what show would air for certain time slots.
For many parents, being able to keep their children quiet and distracted is key. By placing a
tablet in front with YouTube Kids on it, children became conditioned to cry and scream when they
wanted to watch CoComelon. With its ability to withhold a toddler’s attention for hours at a time, the channel has become infamous for its nursery rhymes and big-eyed characters.
Over-stimulation can cause a developmental milestone delay (Kid Spot, 1). Additionally, this
type of content can create symptoms of addiction and withdrawal. Mothers have reported multiple temper tantrums, some of which hit themselves to watch the show. According to the Australian National Guidelines, children younger than two should have no screen time whatsoever. During the prime age of development, engaging and educational activities are necessary. Reading with parents, going outside, and independent playtime are necessary to provide important cognitive skills.
To combat the low-quality entertainment found in CoComelon, parents are encouraged to limit screen time. If necessary, children should be shown shows with educational fundamentals. Pediatricians are provided with episodes from Sesame Street to teach young children important lessons. On the other hand, it is best to eliminate the necessity to rely on technology to raise children.
Sources:
Smuels, A., 2022. Inside CoComelon, the Children's Entertainment Juggernaut. [online] Time. Available at: <https://time.com/6157797/cocomelon-success-children-entertainment/> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
Davis, M., 2022. TikTok is Bad For Your Brain: Constant Social Media Streaming Narrows Collective Attention Span, Adversely Affects Mental Health. [online] Science Times. Available at:
<https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/34138/20211025/tiktok-bad-brain-constant-social-media-streaming-narrows-collective-attention.htm> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
Tv.parrotanalytics.com. 2022. Cocomelon (YouTube): United States daily TV audience insights for
smarter content decisions - Parrot Analytics. [online] Available at: <https://tv.parrotanalytics.com/US/cocomelon-youtube> [Accessed 18 August 2022].
Goulis, L., 2022. Say it isn't so! CoComelon blamed for speech delay and tantrums in toddlers. [online] kidspot. Available at:<https://www.kidspot.com.au/lifestyle/entertainment/cocomelon-blamed-for-speech-
delay-and-tantrums-in-childen/news-story/b5ac00b4995935b4cc9a52df6d04aa80> [Accessed 24 August
2022].
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