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With social media came something else that we don't talk about enough: dopamine addiction. Our brains naturally produce dopamine, a feel-good hormone that is produced in our brains. But exercising, doing activities that we love, and eating snacks we enjoy will cause a surge in dopamine.
Similarly, consuming content online that either brings us joy, surprise, or sudden shock will cause a much more sudden surge in dopamine, encouraging us to continue scrolling to find our next "hit." This is also becoming increasingly common with children's television shows.
With unnaturally bright colors, repetitive music, action, and drama, kids are inclined to watch TV much more intensely, for much longer periods of time—and they'll struggle much more with stepping away from the screen than, ironically, their '80s and '90s parents, many of whom were latchkey kids, raised more by a TV screen than their parents.
Because of all of this, two moms who are operating an Instagram account together, Lauren and Sara of @mamasandmesses, decided to spread the joy and share some '90s nostalgia with their young children, all of whom are infant and toddler ages.
Shockingly, after only a few sessions of showing the toddlers shows like Arthur, Bear in the Big Blue House, and the original Blue's Clues, they noticed some distinct changes in their children's behavior.
First of all, because of those high dopamine surges of today's TV shows, children struggle to stop watching at the end of an episode, wanting to rush off to the next one, which often leads to complaints, tantrums, and meltdowns.
The moms noted very little frustration over turning the TV off after a short session, since the children were satisfied with one or two episodes at a time, and then ready to return to their playtime.
Lauren and Sara also noticed that the children's behavior, like their daily interactions and sharing capabilities, improved, and their sleeping schedules and patterns improved drastically.
You can watch the revelation video here:
Lauren and Sara explained in the caption what they thought was causing the change.
"A lot of '90s childhood shows have lower stimulation than today's shows and movies."
"I also love the messages and creative exploration a lot of '90s shows teach children."
"Don't get me wrong, we still watch some 'Bluey,' 'Ms. Rachel,' and Disney movies, but this little change has shown us positive outcomes in their sleep and behavior."
Some fellow Instagrammers agreed, and weighed in with some of their favorite '80s and '90s television shows.
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
Other Instagram parents agreed with the phenomenon and said they had the same experiences with their children.
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
Some also agreed that overstimulation was a serious problem and felt shows should be more relaxing and educational.
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
@mamasandmesses/Instagram
While there's nothing necessarily wrong with today's TV shows, it's clear that the new glitz and glam of these shows and movies might have some negative impacts lingering under the surface for parents to be on the lookout for.
Sometimes more, even when it's color and music, isn't always better. Sometimes it's nice to just have a reminder to be nice to your friends, touch some grass, and remember to eat your servings of fruits and vegetables, before going back outside to play.