'CoComelon Made My Kid a Zombie'

Children's cartoon CoComelon has become a huge online phenomenon, with its catchy tunes and bold 3D animations entrancing infants and toddlers. But parent Belle McCarthy has told Newsweek that her toddlers became "like zombies, almost mesmerized" when viewing the show.

She is not alone among parents who fear CoComelon is responsible for their children's behavioral problems, including anger issues, ADHD, autism and speech delays. McCarthy took to TikTok to share her experience alongside with many other parents. The hashtag #cocomelonisbad currently has over 470,000 views, with experts also weighing in on the subject.

But is CoComelon actually negatively affecting children? We spoke to the experts to find out.

Is 'CoComelon' Bad for Kids?

Created by Jay Jeon and his wife in 2005, the short musical animations were designed to teach their kids the basics. The family-run YouTube channel has since grown into a global sensation with 158 million subscribers and billions of weekly views.

Following the adventures of JJ and his siblings TomTom and YoYo, CoComelon, which is produced by Moonbug Entertainment, introduces children to numbers, letters, colors and more.

The cartoon's popularity skyrocketed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, becoming the world's second most-viewed YouTube channel and reportedly breaking records on Netflix—at the time, it was the first show to remain in the streamer's top 10 for 62 days, according to Forbes.

It was also around this time that parents started to make claims about CoComelon on social media.

Many parents reported addictive behaviors in their children, followed by tantrums when they attempted to wean them off the cartoon. Others attributed speech delays, missed milestones and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD and autism, to CoComelon.

Roseann Capanna-Hodge is an integrative and pediatric mental health expert and the founder of the Global Institute of Children's Mental Health. She said it is no coincidence that these claims began during the pandemic, when the amount of screen time increased dramatically among children.

"Parents of young children were [suddenly] trapped at home and fell into the pattern of watching too much television," she told Newsweek.

McCarthy is a mom of three—Micah, 5, and 3-year-old twins Rose and Sage. She used the show as a "filler" while cleaning or cooking dinner, with the twins watching roughly 30 minutes to an hour of CoComelon a day. She noticed how difficult it was becoming for her twins to disengage from the show.

"It would put them in a less active state," she said. "They would sit so still and were laser-focused."

A Moonbug spokesperson told Newsweek: "Our shows are not intended to replace outdoor playtime or playdates, they have a place in children's entertainment time and, as with food, exercise, etc, it comes down to each parent to find the right and appropriate balance for their children. Our responsibility is ensuring that the quality of the content that we produce is high and beneficial for the development of a child's cognitive and soft skills. Therefore, trained experts in education and research work directly with our producers, talent and executives to ensure our content is high-quality and has educational value.

"It is worth adding that our social media communities are filled with stories of parents who experience first-hand how Moonbug content helps children recognize their world and then further develop important life skills through play and time spent with family."

Why Is 'CoComelon' So Addictive?

Sierra Renae's son L.C was introduced to CoComelon at 10 months old. Like McCarthy, she saw no issues with the show's content, and it provided a useful distraction while she did chores.

L.C began watching CoComelon for up to two hours a day during lockdown and Renae began to notice changes in his behavior.

"I knew it was affecting him because he would be in a daze while watching it," she told Newsweek. "You could be waving your hand right in front of his face and he wouldn't move. It was almost scary."

Renae's TikTok became flooded with videos of other parents reporting behavioral problems, claiming CoComelon was the cause.

One particular video by @thecircusbrain caught Renae's attention. In a clip viewed more than 4 million times, the TikToker dubs the cartoon "crack" for kids.

Comparing the pace of CoComelon to My Little Pony, @thecircusbrain measures the length of each scene and appears to suggest that CoComelon's fast pace is leading to overstimulation.

The viral clip by @thecircusbrain has been shared over 50,000 times since October 2021, but whether he has the professional qualifications to make such a claim is unclear.

Still, he's not the only one to compare CoComelon to drugs on social media. In an Instagram post, Jerrica Sannes, who says she is a child development expert and a former preschool owner, described CoComelon as "baby cocaine," saying that the cartoon can lead to "very real symptoms of addiction and withdrawal."

Hodge agreed that CoComelon can be highly stimulating for young children due to the vivid colors and energetic music.

"They can produce a dopamine release in the brain, similar to drugs," she said. "This can lead to boredom and poor behavioral and emotional regulation."

Does 'CoComelon' Cause ADHD and Autism?

Although many videos claim a study has been published linking CoComelon to ADHD, Newsweek has found no trace of one.

A 2019 study did suggest a link between ADHD and too much screen time. Researchers discovered that 5-year-olds who watched more than two hours of TV a day tended to have lower attention spans and were 7.7 times more likely to show symptoms of ADHD.

Nevertheless, the study's authors said that these children could have had preexisting conditions, with parents using screens to manage difficult behavior rather than creating it.

Pamela Moyo is a clinical psychologist and vice president of behavioral health at community health platform Welfie. She said there is no correlation between TV and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism.

"[With these conditions], the brain is just wired differently, and that can impact the child's development," she told Newsweek.

However, Hodge said addictive shows like CoComelon can lead to sensory overload. Sensory overload is common among people with ADHD and autism, but it can also occur without these conditions.

Young children are still learning to manage their emotions. So, if a toddler is addicted to a TV show and you cut them off, you can expect a negative reaction.

This explains the number of angry outbursts in response to CoComelon bans, with parents sharing videos of furious toddlers online.

"[It] creates the perfect storm for a meltdown," Hodge said. "But it's through this process that they learn to cope with stress and the discomfort of not getting their way."

Can 'CoComelon' Cause Speech Delays?

A 2019 study found that excessive screen time could stunt child development. Investigating the screen habits of 2,441 mothers and their preschool-aged children, researchers discovered that children who used screens for more than one hour a day had lower communication, motor and problem-solving skills.

A study published in JAMA Pediatrics also found that too much screen time can affect a growing child's brain structure, although the subject pool was very limited.

Along with the addictive behavior, Renae noticed that L.C wasn't communicating at the expected level for his age. He was officially diagnosed with a speech delay in December 2021 at the age of 2.

After seeing posts from other parents linking their children's speech delays with CoComelon, Renae made the decision to ban the show.

But cutting CoComelon out wasn't an easy task, with L.C throwing tantrums every time he was told "no." It took two weeks for the toddler to calm down, and Renae replaced the cartoon with Ms. Rachel, a specialist in musical education. "His speech has improved greatly in just a couple of months," Renae said.

Her Songs for Littles YouTube channel is considered the anti-CoComelon, she encourages children to actively engage while watching.

McCarthy also decided to ditch CoComelon in favor of Ms. Rachel. "[The twins] get up, move, talk and sing, rather than it leaving them frozen," she said.

She chose to phase CoComelon out gradually, managing to avoid the meltdowns reported by other parents. Now her family watches less TV in general and McCarthy has noticed an improvement in the twins' speech and expressive language.

How Much Screen Time Is Healthy for a Child?

The World Health Organization recommends no more than one hour of screen time a day for children under 5. However, Moyo recommends no screen time at all for children under 2.

Nevertheless, she said watching age-appropriate, educational programming with an older child can be a wonderful bonding experience.

Decades of research have shown that educational programming can have a positive impact on child development. However, these programs alone cannot achieve the same results as parental engagement.

"When a parent highlights moments of learning, that helps a child make sense of what they are experiencing," Moyo said. "A good show can help a child develop language, counting and other skills more quickly."

Hodge said it's understandable why so many parents rely on screens to entertain their kids, with many not realizing the negative effects.

"Given the nature of educational apps and shows, parents don't think that being on devices for extended periods of time could be harmful because they think their child is learning," she said.

"But they are missing out on physical play and social interactions, there needs to be a balance."

As it can be hyperstimulating, does that mean parents should avoid CoComelon? Hodge said no, but she emphasized the importance of moderation.

"Too much of a good thing can turn into a negative," she said.

"Set consistent limits on screen time and avoid using devices as a regular babysitter."

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