Kids can and do watch and rewatch the show over and over again online. That means hours spent listening to George Pig, Rebecca Rabbit, Suzy Sheep, and the rest of the Anglo-speaking gang. Kids’ accents come from hearing those around them, so it makes sense that if their time is spent listening to British voices they would start to say “toe-mah-to” instead of tomato. If this feels like some kind of isolated instant or even a viral marketing stunt, it’s not. Plenty of parents from across the United States have taken to Twitter to share their own experiences with the #PeppaEffect. There’s a perception in the United States that a British accent sounds classier or somehow cuter than an American accent. At least a couple of women mentioned a desire for their (future) kids to watch the show specifically so they would pick up the accent. As with anything on social media, however, there were a few naysayers. But while imitating their favorite characters may be why the #PeppaEffect begins, it’s at least partially parents’ fault that it continues. Dr. Emma Byrne, a neuroscientist who’s written extensively about language, told Romper than parents may unconsciously be encouraging the #PeppaEffect. The majority of their Twitter reactions evince a level of “Isn’t that adorable?” delight that parents undoubtedly express every time they hear the Queen’s English escape their child’s lips. Those kinds of reactions are attention, and kids love attention. If they know they’ll get a laugh out of mom and dad, there’s no reason not to say “holiday” instead of “vacation.” Eventually, kids will move on from Peppa and it’s likely that they leave their across-the-pond phrases behind. Until then, however, don’t be surprised if your kids continue to sound like junior members of Monty Python.
