Doctor warns that certain TV shows are negatively 'rewiring kids' brains'
Many parents stick their children in front of the TV from time to time, whether it's to get some extra housework done or just to get a wee bit of time to themselves. Although technology has advanced massively in recent years, popping your kid in front of a screen is a practice that has been done for decades.
As long as the shows aren't inappropriate for the youngsters in any way, and you don't do it all the time, what's the problem? Well, it has been revealed that these light-hearted, colourful programmes may actually be having subtle yet harmful influences on your children that could be detrimental to their development.
An emergency doctor from the US has taken to social media to show how these high-paced shows could be "rewiring" our kids' brains. In the video on TikTok, Dr Joe first showed a baby's reaction to the beginning of the popular kids show Colomelon.
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The baby is seen to rush towards the TV in a walker once the melody of the theme song begins, ready to watch the animated characters they recognise, reports the Mirror.
Dr Joe starts by saying: "Ah, Cocomelon, it's like a baby's kryptonite - but not without consequences. Shows like this are scientifically designed to catch your baby's attention. Bright colours, catchy tunes, and fast-paced repetitive patterns that hijack your baby's brain."
He explained: "When developers create these shows, they actually sit babies in front of a monitor and capture their reactions. If a baby turns her head away at a certain point, they'll tweak the show to keep their attention. The ultimate baby trap!
"Now, every time your baby hears the theme song or sees the vibrant animations, it triggers their reward system, releasing dopamine. And that's a feel-good chemical. "
According to Psychology Today, dopamine is a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that transmits signals between nerve cells in the brain, as well as other functions. They are able to affect your mood by directly affecting the brain's reward and pleasure centres.
Dopamine can be activated from doing activities you enjoy like eating, taking part in a sport, watching your favourite TV show or doing small things like achieving a goal.
Dr Joe explains: "Dopamine reinforces behaviours. So when your baby gets a little brain high from that show, they start associating it with happiness and comfort. Too much of this can overstimulate their developing brains. This can make it harder for them to focus on real-world activities. The brains get rewired to crave that fast paced, high reward input."
Therefore, by sticking your child in front of the TV, you may be negatively impacting their curiosity about other activities happening in the real world. Back in 2011, research revealed that watching nine minutes of fast-paced TV can reduce the executive function of a preschool-aged child's brain as the overwhelming stimuli can short circuit the brain's ability to effectively process information. This can impact a child's self-regulation and decrease their attention spans.
However, if parents are only letting their children watch TV every so often, then they do not need to be overly concerned. Some experts believe that the brain only becomes rewired when there aren't enough breaks for play to disrupt prolonged screen time.
Dr Joe suggests: "So let them enjoy the catchy tunes, but balance it out with hands-on playtime, books, or even baby-led chaos around the house. That way, they're not just entertained, but growing, learning, and building those essential skills."
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