This Is Your Kid’s Brain on CoComelon

Technology has changed how children interact with the world, and we’ve all seen toddlers engulfed in their iPads. Tablets have become babysitters, and there’s a good shot that CoComelon is hypnotizing those kids.

If you’re unfamiliar with this program, it’s probably because you’re not in the target demographic. It’s geared toward children aged 5 and under, who are often obsessed with it. Therefore, parents of toddlers often shove the show in front of their kids to get them to stop whining.

CoComelon really took off in 2018 when a children’s YouTube channel rebranded, used 3D animation, and shifted its content to follow an animated baby named JJ. Videos often feature nursery rhymes, bright colors, and simple dances, but there is a lot of content. As of March 2025, there are over 1,400 YouTube videos on the official channel and multiple seasons on Netflix.

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Children’s programming is nothing new, so what makes CoComelon different? Based on the way kids interact with the videos, they’re quite addictive — and data suggests that’s true. The brains watching the cartoon are very impressionable, and prolonged engagement can have long-term impacts on cognitive development.