As adults, it can be shocking why children can watch the same movie over and over again and stay spellbound all the time even though they already know what is going to happen. They can see it up to 100 times if they like it a lot, with the same degree of attention as the first time despite knowing it by heart. Almost without blinking.
How hypnotized children can stay in front of the same movie over and over again. They keep laughing at the same jokes and they learn the lines, but their pleasure in seeing her does not diminish. Why can children watch the same movie over and over again?
Children learn by repetition
Children's brains are the cause. Its operation is prepared to learn by repetition. Children assimilate the information received through repetition. That is why they ask for the same story over and over again, the same movie, the same pictures and the same song.
Repetition improves learning and understanding. It is their way of maturing and growing. It allows them to develop their brain skills, such as linguistics, logical thinking, and narrative. Children who see the same movie several times can better assimilate the words than by watching new stories.
They don't understand everything the first time
For them, in a movie or a cartoon many things happen at the same time, and something that may seem simple for adults for them is very difficult to follow. Too many stimuli while capturing your attention, but it is difficult for them to assimilate together: conversations, new words, emotions, various characters, colors, music, dances ... Everything happens too fast and they are not able to catch them all the first time and there are many things that they do not understand.
Each time they see it, they capture new information and details that they had not detected before. Their attention and understanding improve and they can process more information. It allows them to improve their logical thinking, learn cause-effect relationships, combination between objects, learn gestures and words, ... all from the same family history.
They like to participate
They learn the dialogues, the songs, what is going to happen, ... which allows them to participate more in the film and makes them like it more. They can interact by repeating the phrases, doing their dances or singing their songs. His way of celebrating his successes is by watching it over and over again.
Children love to predict the future
Knowing what will happen next they love it. Real life is too unpredictable and chaotic for them to "predict the future" and know what will happen next gives them security and confidence.
In their day to day they receive a lot of new information that they do not know, and being able to have a knowledge of something makes them feel competent, and allows them to discover their world from the comfort. It makes them feel like they can control a little piece of their world in a familiar environment. It gives them a lot of satisfaction, they enjoy and it relaxes them.
What happens when we are adults?
As adults we are bored and tired to see the same thing over and over again, for the movie itself. We only find pleasure if there is an emotional factor behind it: something that reminds us of our childhood or a stage that we consider better or simpler in our lives. That is why the new bores us quickly, and instead a movie or song from our past never tires us. It is not because of the movie itself but because of what it represents emotionally.
For the rest we want to see new things, feel new experiences. The known bores us and we look beyond.
So if your child asks you over and over for the same movie, you know why. Put it on and enjoy, your brain works while he has a good time. Remember the benefits it brings you.
Why remember ... you were a child too, and even if you don't remember, you did it too.