Response To Baby Einstein Comments

I've been wanting for some time to respond to the many comments to my Baby Einstein entry.

First, in response to Alina's description of the need to use movies now and then as a necessity with such a large and busy family. I'm certainly in no position to judge a parent who needs to use technology in that way when options are limited.

Also, as Alissa pointed out, some programming can be quite educational, and the kids who watch them may get something out of them.

However, there are several other things that bother me greatly.

1. This is the most obvious, and I believe everyone agrees. President Bush has no business doing product placement during his State of the Union address. He could be marketing just about anything and I'd feel the same way. (To be fair, if the product was something that will do wonders in the area of environmentalism... such as talking about hybrid cars or gDiapers.) But of course, his intention was to talk about people, not about products. So he should have stuck with that goal.

2. An additional comment about product placing in a State of the Union address. I believe Bush thought it would be appropriate because, after all, he was talking about something FOR THE CHILDREN. I'm so tired of politicians getting points for caring about THE CHILDREN. Just because you're doing something for them, doesn't mean the thing you're doing is laudable. You might as well say that you are drilling for oil or chopping down a rainforest FOR THE CHILDREN. It doesn't automatically mean it's a good idea.

3. I did some research in a science and ethics class at one point about television and children. What surprised and resonated with me was the question of what the medium itself does to children. Back when people were first starting to worry about the effects of television on children, the concern seemed primarily to be about content. If children watched violent programming, would they become violent? However, what some researchers found was that it was not necessarily about the content of the show. There were some surprising correlations between TV watching in general and aggression. For example, when comparing the effects of watching Mister Rogers vs. Sesame Street, children showed more aggression with the latter. This was explained as being caused by the short and choppy pace of the show as compared to Fred Rogers' slow pace. (I really admire that man, by the way.)

Now, I'm going to be completely honest... I don't think I've ever actually watched Baby Einstein, but I think at least it's slow and gentle. So in that sense, this particular kind of video might be less harmful.

But 4.... and I think this is my biggest annoyance with products such as Baby Einstein as well as almost all children's movies. Marketing towards children is still marketing and to a hugely vulnerable group. I'm not talking about the children as the vulnerable group so much as the parents. A new movie comes out and as long as it's rated G it's somehow considered good for kids. It doesn't matter how fast, insulting or silly it is. More often than not I resent children's movies because I don't think they respect children or children's natural approach to the world. (Perhaps I should explain this in further depth in another entry.)

However, you get this culture going in which all these movies are somehow considered not only appropriate, but GOOD for kids. And then you throw in something for even younger little children. And parents, who have more and more been taught to believe what their told about what their child MUST HAVE, believe that if they don't buy this thing, their kid won't be as smart as the neighbor's kid. Just look at the title Baby Einstein.

Remember, the American Pediatric Association recommends NO SCREEN TIME for kids until age 2, and plenty of other people would recommend against it for much older children as well.

Now, my hope is that we will be able to keep ND pure of TV at least until that age, but I'm going to try to be honest. TV is like candy. We all know that candy is not good for you, but most people have it sometimes anyway, and I can't promise that I can be perfect in that. I think it's healthy for U. and I as adults to use TV sometimes to unwind together at the end of the day, and ND is now usually sitting with us at that time, not watching, but present. Is this a mistake? Maybe.

So there you have it. I hope that was all clear enough. I'm too tired to write anymore and you're probably too tired to read anymore anyway!