The impact of watching cartoons on children's development.

As an Early year practitioner, I am aware of the interests of my students, not only their hobbies, favorite foods, and colors, but also their heroes.

Nowadays, almost every 3-year-old child knows how to open YouTube and select the video that they want. Of course, many parents will upload on their tablet YouTube for kids or will filtrate content for their children, still, even innocent videos from popular channels like Cocomelon or others may overstimulate young children negatively impacting their cognitive development. Yes, I know that being a parent is not an easy thing, and a lot of moms and dads lack time to spend with their children and that is why we see this phenomenon of playing cartoons or other media on your preschoolers’ handheld devices while the parents are at work or busy. However, leaving your loved ones in front of the screen is not recommended. Young brains are like sponges they absorb information very fast. Based on what they watch they are copying the behavior and manners of their heroes, using the same way of talking and sharing the same interests as them.

?So, if you notice that your little one`s behavior is starting to change, showing aggressiveness with his or her peers in preschool, or using new and negative language it can be the first sign that it is time to revise and carefully select the content that they are watching. ?The Incredible Hulk, the Joker, Batman, and many others are not suitable for this delicate age and don’t encourage the behavior that we educators are seeking. ?However, even if your child is so excited and inspired by popular heroes you can use it in a positive way, it is very important to ask children their feedback and what they think about reviewed cartoons.

Finally, as an educator, I recommend minimizing screen time and playing organic games at home instead, the same way you were playing when you were a kid. Even if it creates a mess in the room, it’s still a much easier mess to deal with.?