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Children often mimic behaviors and speech patterns from the TV shows they watch. During the pandemic, with less oversight on screen time, American kids binged on the British cartoon Peppa Pig. This increased exposure has resulted in some children adopting British expressions and accents.
As one Wall Street Journal reporter witnessed, her niece who previously spoke with an American accent now uses a posh English accent after watching Peppa Pig extensively during the lockdown.
The Wall Street Journal reported on this phenomenon, highlighting how American kids are picking up British slang and accents from watching the show. This includes phrases like “Can we turn the telly on?”
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 18, 2021
“My daughter suddenly started using British terms like ‘holiday’ instead of ‘vacation’,” mentioned a parent from California in response to the trend on Twitter, emphasizing the linguistic shift in their child’s speech.
Entertainment One Ltd, the production company behind Peppa Pig, acknowledged that young viewers tend to emulate traits of characters they admire, viewing them as friends and picking up their mannerisms.
