
Is COCOMELON as Safe as it Seems?
By Movieguide® Contributor
While the world of COCOMELON looks bright and child-safe, a peek behind the scenes reveals a more nefarious force lingering just under the surface.
At first glance, COCOMELON’s plushy world designed for kids is a dream for parents looking to turn something on to occupy their children. The show’s catchy tunes and semi-educational storylines match up with other kids’ programming, further putting parents’ minds at ease. However, any adult who actually sits down to watch the show quickly begins to notice it is different from kids’ shows of the past.
COCOMELON’s style is defined by extremely fast cuts with camera shots hardly ever lasting longer than three seconds. This decision by animators highlights a larger problem behind the production of COCOMELON — that the show is made to keep kids on their screens for as long as possible.
Just like any other form of media, kids’ content has always been produced with profit in mind. Some of the most enduring titles, such as Elmo, generate millions of dollars in merchandise sales alone every year. While these shows are certainly made to engage kids as much as possible, they were never made with the intent of keeping kids on screens for hours on end.
COCOMELON, however, is a product of the YouTube/streaming era where retention rate is the most important metric. Thus, the show has been built from the ground up to keep kids on their screens to continue to drive up viewership numbers.
The approach has certainly worked as the show is estimated to have received over 30 billion viewing minutes per year since 2020, making it one of the most successful franchises of all time across the whole of the entertainment industry. The content, however, is disingenuous as every choice made in production is meant to fine-tune the episode to keep children watching.
While the viewership-driven approach to creating new episodes has resulted in generally safe content with few immoral lessons, parents should beware of leaving their kids unchecked watching this show as it is designed to hook them.
Previous studies have shown that children who consume high levels of screen time face developmental problems such as delays in speech development and issues with cognitive function. The best way for parents to help their children get off of screens is to set a good example and refrain from excessive screen time themselves. Studies have shown that not only does this help children build better habits but it also leads to better parenting overall.
Movieguide® previously reported on COCOMELON:
New data suggests that COCOMELON is the most desired children’s show.
The Moonbug Entertainment series topped the charts of Netflix shows watched for the last half of 2023. From July to December, users watched it more than 200 million times.
Deadline reported, “Taken together, all views of seasons of CoComelon made it one of the most-watched in the top 100. The eighth season alone was watched 37.6 million times and most seasons featured in the top 50.”
Much of the show’s success stems from its mostly positive messages.