would probably admit that the past year has redefined what screen time means to them; at best, a guilt-free educational substitute for face-to-face learning and at worst, a free quarantine babysitter. To offset the isolation and lack of social interaction, new children’s shows strive to help young minds cope with stress and stay connected, from a safe distance.
What the pandemic has also done, according to
Henrietta Hurford-Jones, global director of children’s content at BBC Studios, is drive a record number of children and adults to turn back to public service broadcasting for education and entertainment while reversing a trend towards “fragmented” streaming options, where parents had little control. “Parents trust channels such as CBeebies as they know that nothing weird will pop up on screen as children are watching.”
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A popular member of the “mums group” I’m part of once whispered in my ear that my one-year-old son was “a bit too thin”. I almost choked on a French fry before the anxiety kicked in. My son had been weighed plenty of times by his doctor and there were no problems until this “friend” put it in my head that there may be.
Another
mum liked to congratulate the rest in our group loudly when our children hit any of their milestones, as if she were monitoring every step. “Is he talking yet?” she would often ask of my 16-month-old