Look up which shows are most popular among children these days, and you’re sure to find Netflix’s “CoComelon” at the top of the list. The animated series prides itself on teaching preschoolers basic concepts like letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and social skills through catchy nursery rhymes, original songs, and colorful 3D animation. Emphasizing positive themes such as kindness, sharing, and problem-solving, “CoComelon” seems benign, perhaps even beneficial, to parents who need a moment’s peace or a few minutes to prepare a meal.
However, a deeper dive into the making of the series reveals a sinister truth: The creators are purposely frying children’s brains.
To dive into this controversy, Allie Beth Stuckey of “Relatable” invites Clare Morell, author and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, to the show to share her knowledge.
Morell, citing a New York Times article, says that researchers at Moonbug Entertainment, the British children’s content company behind “CoComelon,” test child subjects in front of two screens. One airs an episode of “CoComelon”; the other, dubbed the “Distractatron,” runs through mundane footage — “ a mom cooking dinner, a dad vacuuming.” A team of note-taking researchers observes from a glass room.