With the recent release of 2023’s latest streaming trends, it looks like Cocomelon is keeping its strong record, but this could change throughout the year. Especially with the advent of streaming services, the increasing amount of screen time for many people and its impacts on health and wellness has been a developing topic for years, particularly for kids. This debate is still developing and often varies by medium as experts and the public examine what’s best for adults and children alike. However, 2023 could see a shift in this discussion, at least as far as Cocomelon is concerned, and could be indicative for other mediums as well.
In 2011, a study from the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that fast-paced television shows had negative effects on 4-year-olds’ executive function. While the study utilized truncated episodes of the show SpongeBob SquarePants compared with an educational show and drawing, the results of the study could still apply to similar shows that feature full scene changes every 11 seconds and constant character movement. More recently, Parents published an article citing the study discussing whether the pace of the popular kid's show Cocomelon was positive or negative for children. The series features nursery rhyme-style songs alongside colorful animation that can run for several hours at a time.
Cocomelon's Continued 2023 Streaming Record Continues A Debate
Part of the reason for the recent Parents article discussing the pacing of Cocomelon is the show’s continued success throughout the years, drawing the attention of children and their parents. Even more recently, Cocomelon has continued to rise to the top of streaming charts in 2023, as reported by Nielsen. Coming in fifth out of the top ten growing shows on streaming services for the week of January 16-January 22, the series is still holding streaming records years after it first hit Netflix, and even longer since it debuted on YouTube.
Despite Cocomelon’s success, however, it’s understandable that there are some concerns about whether the show can have a negative impact on some of its audience. As the Parents article discusses, several Reddit threads and TikTok users are noting and debating the speed of scene changes in the show and how quickly some children have become attached to the series. Either way, the show’s continued success and the response among parents show this debate regarding which series are best for the development of their youngest audience members will continue onwards.
2023 Records Hint At A Less Controversial Future For Kids Streaming Shows
However, Nielsen’s recent streaming records could hint at another’s show’s incumbent affluence that could overtake Cocomelon going into the future as long-running shows such as Arthur end. Bluey, a preschool television show that chronicles the adventures of a six-year-old Blue Heeler puppy and her family, is only a few spots behind Cocomelon in terms of streaming records and has a considerably slower scene pace.
While there are still some people who believe Bluey could also have a detrimental impact on younger viewers, many parents have left favorable reviews and suggest that Bluey has had a positive impact on themselves and their kids. As such, its increasing popularity suggests the future of kid's streaming content may lean into less-controversial and more positively regarded shows than Cocomelon.