Moonbug Entertainment has partnered with researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to address concerns surrounding the impact of its flagship preschool series, “CoComelon.” The collaboration aims to integrate academic insights on child development into the show’s content creation, enhancing its educational value while alleviating some longstanding criticisms.

The latest episode, titled “Fast Little Fishy Splash Water Park Adventure,” which premiered on YouTube in May, centers on the character JJ confronting and overcoming his fear of swimming. This episode exemplifies the results of a multi-year partnership between Moonbug and UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers, a think tank focused on merging entertainment media with psychological research. The collaboration began in late 2025 and incorporates findings designed to support children’s socio-emotional growth through relatable storylines and learning opportunities.

Moonbug recently published its “Moonbug Learning Principles Framework” on its website, a set of guidelines informed by academic research that advises producing content to help young viewers navigate real-life challenges and model positive social interactions. The framework also emphasizes the importance of diversity, highlighting characters from varied ethnic backgrounds, including Mexican American, Korean American, and Black children, portrayed with depth to reflect authentic experiences.

Rich Hickey, Moonbug’s chief creative officer, described the episode as an example of “inclusive storytelling and learning through play” that aligns with the company’s mission to build trust with parents by developing age-appropriate content. Despite the studio’s broad reach—“CoComelon” was the most-watched YouTube channel globally in 2020, attracting an average of 3.5 billion monthly views—the program has faced criticism for its impact on young viewers’ attention spans and exposure to overstimulating fast-paced visuals.

Critics often voice concerns on parenting forums about “CoComelon” fostering screen dependency and potentially contributing to developmental delays, describing its rapid scene changes as challenging for children’s processing abilities. Moonbug has defended its approach by noting its diverse range of videos designed for different daily moments, from calming bedtime episodes to more active, movement-focused content.

The UCLA Center for Scholars and Storytellers conducted a comprehensive review of Moonbug’s preschool programming, including “Blippi” and “Little Angel,” to shape future creative direction. Yalda T. Uhls, assistant adjunct professor of psychology at UCLA and the center’s executive director, stated that their review found no peer-reviewed evidence indicating audiovisual content is addictive for preschool children. However, their research suggested children learn less effectively from content featuring frequent cuts, although such pacing does not negatively affect attention spans.

The center’s recommendations include minimizing distractions and tangential elements during scenes addressing real-life situations to improve learning outcomes. An advisory council of child development experts was engaged to evaluate current content quality, particularly socio-emotional learning aspects. While some episodes demonstrated room for improvement and occasional instances of modeling unsafe behavior, Uhls indicated the overall content was neither wholly positive nor negative in educational value.

Moving forward, the UCLA center intends to deepen its cooperation with Moonbug, advocating for earlier integration of child development research in the studio’s creative process and supporting the ongoing implementation of the learning principles across the company’s content portfolio.