The Problem With Baby Einstein
State of the Union addresses always have that part of the program during which the president focuses on some token individuals... sometimes it's really nice and sometimes kind of pathetic. I won't wax too much about that now. This year President Bush talked about the maker of Baby Einstein. I scoffed. Baby Einstein is just one more product that parents are convinced they need to buy in order to be good parents.
Below is a copy of the e-update I received from The Campain For A Commercial-Free Childhood about Bush's reference:
The following is the statement of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in response to President Bush using his State of the Union address to promote the Baby Einstein video series. During his speech, the President lauded Baby Einstein's founder, Julie Aigner-Clark, as an example of the "the heroic kindness, courage and self-sacrifice of the American people," and described the success of Baby Einstein in detail. In 2006, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood filed a Federal Trade Commission complaint against Baby Einstein for false and deceptive marketing; that complaint is pending.
It is extremely disappointing that the President used his State of the Union address to provide a free infomercial for a company built on false and deceptive marketing. Despite its claims, there is no evidence that watching Baby Einstein videos is educational for babies and toddlers.
The President claimed that Ms. Aigner-Clark "represents the great enterprising spirit of America." We respectfully disagree. We don't believe that preying on parents' concerns about their children's well-being; deceiving customers about a product's benefits; or exploiting our youngest and most vulnerable children should have any role in the American marketplace.
Research suggests that -- for babies -- TV viewing may be harmful. It's been found to interfere with cognitive development, language development and regular sleep patterns. The more time babies spend in front of TV, the less time they spend engaging in two activities that really do facilitate learning: interacting with parents away from screens, and spending time in creative play.
TV viewing can also be habituating. For older children, hours of television watched are linked to bullying, poor school performance and childhood obesity.
Despite these concerns, more babies are spending more time in front of televisions than ever. They do so, in part, because well-financed sophisticated marketing campaigns insure that we've all heard of Baby Einstein. Meanwhile, only 6% of parents are aware of that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under two.
Americans would be much better served if the President used the bully pulpit to promote the AAP's recommendation rather than promoting a company whose marketing deceives parents into believing that it's educational to plop babies in front of screens.
To learn more about CCFC's FTC complaint against Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby and BabyFirstTV, please visit http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/babyvideos/ftccomplaint.htm
If you have not yet signed our petition to the FTC urging them to investigate our complaint, please visit http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/ccfc/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=279
posted by Evenewra at January 25, 2007
4 Comments:
I have friends who refer to Baby Einstein as "baby crack." I've personally witnessed many children go into zombie-mode when Baby Einstein comes in, and I've vowed that if we have that elusive child, no tv. Period. (very funny coming from the family who's education is all in entertainment!)
However, I have to say (not that I WANT to defend BE), I know a couple of kids who knew how to count, sing songs and could identify colours and such before the age of two because of BE. I don't necessarily think that means they were "being educated" but they had obviously learned something.
Of course, it's nothing they couldn't have learned from Mommy, Nanny, Daycare worker, etc.
My primary objection to any of these kids' videos is the kids' reactions to them: they simply go zombie. They don't blink, they focus only on the tv, they become completely oblivious to their surroundings. It's more than a little scarey.
I think Bush was promoting them because you don't have to *read* (or even think) anything. And that's good for him.
7:04 PM
Arwen, your information on BE is very interesting. These comments are also in response to Alissa, whom I also agree with. This is just a different perspective. While I agree with the comments, that children should be limited in their television and video viewing, I think it is all things in moderation.
I agree the President should not be advertising BE in his speech, that is just pathetic. But compared to what else is out there, BE is not so bad. We actually have several BE videos and if your going to park your kid in front of a video those are better than some of the popular kid movies out there. We were also very anti TV and movies until I got pregnant with TWINS! I was too sick to do anything else but watch movies with my then 2 year old. Once they were born, the movies became even more "necessary" sorry to use that word, because it was the only way to nurse and keep a 2&1/2 year old out of trouble. I was fortunate to have a child who had no interest in movies until he was 2 though. And fortunately the twins are not so interested yet.
But the bottom line is, the people who are going to put a baby in front of BE would do it with something else if BE was not available, so at least comparatively it really is educational. A toddler who watches BE will not pick up bad behavior or irritating movie lines like they would watching "speaking" movies.
In defense of "educational" movies, yes, a child could learn those things in daycare, nanny, parent, etc. But we have an alphabet Leap Frog video and I have to say, it is amazing the way our son, now 3, picked up his ABC's. Now he already had a start as we have been singing the ABC song since he was a baby, but he has all his sounds down and it really did help.
Oh and yes, I admit, our kid hits the zombie mode with all movies not just BE and I hate it, but I also confess that it is a survival tool. Something I swore we would never do! Now if we only had the one, it probably would not have happened, but with twins, well that is my excuse and I am stickin' to it! But on the flip side, we do read a lot and play with Thomas the Tank Engine and when it is nice we try to get to the park.
As I said in the begining, I agree with both you and Alissa %100! But sometimes in real time, things end up changing and we justify and compromise our ideals for the sake of sanity!
3:20 PM
Saba here, but without my password.
Great book from 1978: _Seven arguments for the elimination of television_ by the pseudonyminous Jerry Mander. Look it up on Amazon and also look at related books.
Television is a fabulous mass-programming tool. It simulates a dream through its use of mixed media, and thus does indeed capture the consciousness.
An end result of generations being raised on television is a loss of critical thinking, e.g., in electing a president who has nothing to offer but sound bytes. You could easily see why W would think Baby Einstein is a boon.
3:47 PM
Oops, that was _Four arguments for the elimination of television_
I could offer a lot more than four!
3:48 PM
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