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This article is part of\u00a0<\/i>Upstream,<\/i><\/a>\u00a0The Daily Wire\u2019s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories \u2014 from our featured writers to you.<\/i><\/p>\n ***<\/i><\/p>\n We have four kids, and sometimes when my husband and I are making dinner, the homework is done, and the siblings aren\u2019t playing well together, we need TV time to hold their attention for a bit. <\/span>The shows we choose are important \u2014 not just because we care about the messages our children are seeing and receiving, but because we care about their ability to be able to sit and engage in \u201clonger-form\u201d entertainment.<\/span><\/p>\n Research backs this up. \u201cChildren who watched the fast-paced television cartoon performed significantly worse on the executive function tasks than children in the other 2 groups when controlling for child attention, age, and television exposure,\u201d a study<\/a> from 2011 found. <\/span>Even nine minutes of exposure damaged the executive functions (emotion, behavior, and thought processing to achieve goals) of four-year-olds.<\/span><\/p>\n Our toddler has a speech delay and has an incredible therapist who works with him during sessions in our home. Speech pathologists have told me since he started his therapy over a year ago that, among kids\u2019 shows, \u201cCocomelon\u201d is the worst, and \u201cBluey\u201d is the best. I agree. <\/span>The frame rates of the shows matter, and \u201cCocomelon\u201d is literally <\/span>created<\/span><\/a> to keep a toddler staring as it hops from frame to frame. There\u2019s no beginning, middle, or end. It\u2019s non-stop music, colors, and people. Compare this to \u201cBluey,\u201d which develops story and characters for young viewers to root for and get to know.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCocomelon\u201d is all music-based, which many parents might think is innocent enough because we have been told that music for kids is great. But, as the nursery songs are being sung by the main characters, there are often rapid and disjointed scene changes. (Not to mention the show encourages<\/a> gender \u201cfluidity.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBluey,\u201d on the other hand, has a cohesive flow and plot lines featuring recurring characters such as Bluey\u2019s sister, Bingo; a mom and a dad; and other extended family. The episodes of Bluey also have names that correlate with the plots of the 7- to 9-minute stories. \u201cCocomelon\u201d is nonstop for over an hour per episode.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One director of a speech center for kids and adults told me, \u201cCocomelon is too fast-paced and does not allow the child to engage. They\u2019re just blank staring at a screen.\u201d She added that the show requires no patience, contains no storyline, and builds no anticipation. Therefore, there\u2019s no reward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A writer at the Atlantic<\/span> recently raised the alarm about film students who can no longer sit through a feature film. College <\/span>students<\/span><\/a> are now being assigned only clips and scenes from major motion pictures that professors deem influential. We can blame the smaller screens; professors often saw students looking at their phones in pivotal scenes of classic films. <\/span>How is the next generation going to create art if they can\u2019t sit through a two-hour movie with classmates?<\/span><\/p>\n The piece also noted that students prefer to stream movies in their dorms instead of attending a screening in a group. But watching television as a group is vital. Watching \u201cBluey\u201d as a family, we get to see everyone\u2019s reactions to it. Our toddler\u2019s reaction to \u201cHome Alone\u201d over Christmas brought us all joy. A toddler laughing at certain spots of slapstick comedy during a film, the rest of us know scene by scene, is so cute; it gave us a glimpse into his awareness and personality. Seeing something through children\u2019s eyes is amazing. I can guarantee you our family would not be sitting down together to watch \u201cCocomelon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n We are such big \u201cBluey\u201d fans that our 12-year-old created a spreadsheet with each episode to monitor everyone\u2019s favorite and average out the \u201cbest\u201d one. From Season 1, \u201c<\/span>The Pool\u201d <\/span>is a favorite \u201cbecause it reminds us of going places and mommy has everything and daddy says we don\u2019t need anything until we get home,\u201d she says. In the episode, Dad and Bluey make fun of Mom because she is always over-packing, only to realize they miss the sunscreen and floaties when no one remembers to bring them. <\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cCamping\u201d episode is adorable and realistically bittersweet, showing how sometimes we make friends just for a little while, but we can all find something in common, even with a language barrier.<\/p>\n The \u201c<\/span>Onesie\u201d <\/span>episode alludes to an aunt\u2019s infertility<\/a> and desire to have a baby. It teaches kids that sometimes we want things we cannot have, and when we have loved ones going through such an experience, we need to be there for them and acknowledge that it might be hard for them to engage when they\u2019re reminded of that pain.<\/span><\/p>\n A show with community, consistency, and a mom and a dad is pretty \u201cconservative\u201d these days. But honestly, it\u2019s just real life. Moms needing an occasional break (see the \u201cSheepdog\u201d episode) and the requirements of hosting and serving others (the \u201cBBQ\u201d episode) resonate with people of all ages.<\/p>\n For such short episodes, they contain all the elements of a good story: a beginning, middle, and end with good pacing and good morals. Compare that to the quick-moving images and lack of direction that can bookend long \u201cCocomelon\u201d episodes.<\/p>\n I can kind of relate to those film students; sometimes, some movies are \u201cslow.\u201d But the art of storytelling cannot be limited to TikTok videos and YouTube shorts. <\/span>Attention spans need to last in order to engage in real life \u2014 at work, at school, in relationships, in friendships, and with a spouse and your kids.<\/span><\/p>\n As many parents saw during the pandemic, the shows your kids watch can even affect their communication and behavior. Some parents swore in early 2021 that their youngsters were talking with British accents because of watching so much \u201c<\/span>Peppa Pig<\/span><\/a>.\u201d <\/span>Honestly, I\u2019m fine if my kids start talking like \u201cBluey.\u201d Australians say \u201cno\u201d in a humorous way and never sound mad. If they\u2019re going to imitate anyone, it might as well be a beloved family of cattle dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Elisha Krauss is a conservative commentator, writer, and speaker who resides in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their four children. She is an advocate for women\u2019s rights, school choice, and smaller government.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n