This is a story that, to my eyes at least, goes under 'Bizarre, but unsurprising." It seems that Disney has asked (in a letter) that the University of Washington retract certain statements in a study they did which, supposedly, showed that DVD's along the lines of "Baby Einstein" and "Brainy Babies" (both apparently Disney brands) could actually impede development of language skills in early years rather than boosting them.
Here's a link to the Seattle P-I story:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/327454_babytv14.html
And here's one to the full text of the letter that Disney's Robert Iger sent to Mark Emmert, president of the UoW.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/327427_letter14ww.html
And, finally, here's a link to the story at the University's local newsletter, along with E-mail links for more info.
http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=35898
I've not yet had a chance to read more than the P-I article, so I'm not prepared to go into a full discourse on this. I do, however, find it most interesting that Disney would resort to corporate-level counterattacks instead of commissioning a study of their own. If they truly believe in their product, then they should be completely unafraid to submit it for an independent study.
Happy reading.
Tweet
And to the idea of there being a video aimed towards under the age of two, what is wrong with that. True, there are many problems with watching TV, but it depends on what is on the TV. TV can be a very good learning tool. The Einstein Brand also makes CDS which Leading Experts say will help the developing minds. I think some Dr. are giving out "red herrings" especially in ADD diagnosis and if your child is a little heavy, they must have diabetes. Also, what about Sesame Street or the Telletubbies. They are targeted to young children especially the Telletubbies. After seeing both that and Einstein, I would stick to Einstein.
Still, this isn't difficult for Disney, just hire a rebuttal group.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
This study can't be the first - I had already read a couple of years ago that watching television and videos slows language development.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended for a while that there should be no "screen time" before the age of 2. And now that my son is 2, I can really understand why. We didn't let him watch much television when he was young, but when we did he was hypnotized. Around 2, his behavior changed dramatically - he started reacting to what he was seeing on the screen. He'll now talk about what he's seeing, and jump up and down when he sees the Sesame Street kids jump up and down.
A family-oriented company like Disney should know better. I see no problem with selling the videos, but they shouldn't be marketed as being for kids under the age of two. In fact, wouldn't it be responsible to put a disclaimer on the box stating that the AAP does not recommend allowing children under the age of 2 to watch videos?
It's hard to believe this is the same company that is cutting out smoking from their motion pictures!