The cartoon character "Peppa Pig," which children love watching on television or playing on their iPads, could be damaging their development. According to Dr. Karen Phillip, who is deemed as one of Australia's parenting experts, exposing children to this animation for long hours could essentially turn them into "emotionless zombies."
Dr. Phillips cited that parents use "Peppa Pig" as a babysitter, believing that the kids' animated series is child-friendly and beneficial. "But by 'beneficial', you don't know if they mean education or childminding," the expert said, via Express. "To me, it's more childminding," she added.
Children who make it habit to watch or play "Peppa Pig" without their parents engaging them could have their emotional development hampered. The lack of human interaction robs the kids of their ability to hone empathy and body language skills, which they should ideally benefit from in their adult years.
Dr. Phillips also observes that even if the children are together in groups, parents are most likely to leave them alone to let the kids watch or play "Peppa Pig" on their gadgets, instead of talking to each other. The show's main audience is mostly made up of toddlers, who should be challenged by "new games, new concepts and new ideas" within themselves or among other children through play, per Tenplay Australia. But if the kids' "play" setup is this way, then it does raise some concerns about what they're turning into after long hours of screen time with "Peppa Pig."
Meanwhile, some parents disagree with the expert's observation. One mom, whose child has developmental issues, claimed that "Peppa Pig" actually helped her son and has shown promising improvements because of his exposure to the show, Closer noted. Other parents recognize that any kids' animated series could be beneficial if accessed in moderation.
What's your take on "Peppa Pig" or kids' screen time exposure? Do you believe it's more harmful or more beneficial for children? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
