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Educational toys prey on parents' fears

By Knowledge@Warton (University of Pennsylvania)

August 6, 2007 - Just a decade ago, a company called Baby Einstein helped launch not only a new line of educational videos and toys, but a new generation of kid-centric parents who believed that so-called "enrichment activities" could put their toddlers squarely in the fast lane to success.

 

The Baby Einstein Co. was soon joined by others that promoted educational and entertainment products and services for babies and the under-3-year-old set, including the Baby Prodigy Co. ("Dedicated to helping raise smarter, happier young children") and Brainy Baby ("Learning for a lifetime"). The U.S. isn't alone in this trend. The UK-based TV show "Teletubbies" shared the same premise.

 

However, as this educational baby business grew into a $20 billion-a-year industry, some child advocacy groups warned parents to rethink the products and the messages behind the campaigns that targeted infants and toddlers. In 2006, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against the Baby Einstein Co. for false and deceptive marketing. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which advocates no television for any child under 2 and suggests limits for older children, quickly supported the complaint, noting that "there is no current evidence to prove these videos help infants and toddlers in an intellectual or developmental way."

 

(Click here to be taken to the Delaware News Journal for the rest of the article...)