Therapist shares better alternative for parents scared about kids getting hooked on addictive cartoons like 'CoComelon'

Many toddlers watch cartoons or shows to help pass their time or as a distraction so their parents can do their work effortlessly. However, some cartoons do more harm than good, and parents are worried about their kids getting hooked on addictive cartoons like "CoComelon" and feeling overstimulated by them. Fortunately, a therapist has a better alternative to the addictive cartoons that can keep the kids engaged without causing much harm, per the New York Post.

To help combat overstimulation caused by loud, noisy cartoons with too many colors, quite a few people are turning to the old favorites. Many parents are switching to cartoons like "Care Bears" or "Barney & Friends." Today's addictive cartoons can affect children negatively even after the viewing session has ended, according to Kathryn Smerling, Ph.D., a family therapy professional on the Upper East Side and author of the new book, "Learning to Play Again: Rediscovering Our Early Selves to Become Better Adults." She added, "Instead of having kids slow down, these cartoons jerk them up, making it hard for kids to concentrate and sleep."

A mom, Rita Mayortaliz–who goes by @ritamayortaliz on TikTok–shared a list of cartoons she does not want her toddler to watch. "CoComelon" is one of them, as "the colors are too bright" and it is "overstimulating." Other similar cartoons were banned in the house because they harmed the toddler's behavior, per the mom. Another man–who goes by @thecircusbrain on the platform–highlighted how the show overstimulates kids and why parents don't want their kids to watch it anymore. "Somebody just told me about this show called 'CoComelon' and apparently, for kids, it's like crack." He showed why that happens by comparing the scene changes of "CoComelon" with a show called "My Little Pony."

It took around 4 to 5 seconds for a scene to change in "My Little Pony," while the ones in "CoComelon" changed at a much faster pace, making it hard to keep up, even for the man. Each scene only lasted for about 1 to 2 seconds. He had a shocked expression at the end of the video and suggested that people should "stick to Sesame Street." Cassidy Anderson–who goes by @cassidyandkids on TikTok–shared that she doesn't let her kids watch a show called "Ms Rachel." She likes to play less stimulating and "short shows" and a "Disney movie every now and then" for her kids instead.

The therapist, Smerling, suggested that watching the older shows can be a good choice. "The best of the old-school shows engender conversation, while many of the new shows don’t emphasize that. They are a lot of noise." Introducing kids to their parents' favorite shows instead of watching the new ones can be a great bonding moment, according to her. "A patient recently told me that he and his daughter are watching the 'Berenstain Bears' together," Smerling recounted as she encouraged parents to turn to older shows even more. "This can be a chance to cuddle with your child and say, 'I remember when I watched this with your grandma.' It can be a beautiful, multigenerational connection."

You can follow Rita Mayortaliz (@ritamayortaliz), The Circus Brain (@thecircusbrain) and Cassidy Anderson (@cassidyandkidson) on TikTok for more parenting content.