Why children watch the same shows and games over and over again?

In preschool, a child wants to watch a particular episode of a particular show, even if they have just watched it, and by bedtime the book should have been read enough to develop a repertoire of specific sounds for each character.

This scene is almost familiar to parents, and this repetition has great benefits for children’s learning and well-being.

Statistical learning

A research paper from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK explains that one of the reasons for this is what researchers call “statistical learning”.

According to “Medical Express”, the phenomenon of “statistical learning” is when children are very sensitive to the occurrence of regularities and patterns in their lives.

Language and learning patterns

Interestingly, children are particularly skilled at understanding certain types of material, such as the likelihood of certain sounds appearing in the speech we address them, but they need to be exposed to many examples of this in order to detect regularities.

For example, in all languages, the sounds included in words tend to follow certain patterns.

“In English, for example, some of the most common three-letter combinations are ‘the’, ‘and’ and ‘ing’,” the researchers explain. “It makes sense that children’s brains would seek out repetition of this pattern because it would help them learn the language.”

Feelings of well-being effect

So when young children revisit the same show, what they do, whether they know it or not, is driven by a desire to discover and reinforce patterns in what they see, hear or read.

Repetition also has benefits for children’s emotions, in what we call the ‘well-being effect’.

The main task of childhood is learning, and that means actively seeking out new experiences and stimuli.

However, having to process and adapt to new things can be stressful, even for a young child with boundless energy.

The world can also be a strange and more stressful place for children than it is for adults.

Source of comfort and security

Familiar stimuli, such as a TV episode they’ve already watched countless times, can provide a source of comfort and security that eases this stress and uncertainty.

Deep interest in a particular activity can also provide well-being benefits through a sense of control and mastery.

In addition, being able to choose an activity they enjoy allows them to feel independent and in control of their lives, which are often spent being shuttled around by their parents.