A popular series of videos targeted at babies and praised by President Bush has been found to be ineffective. A new study has found that Baby Einstein videos actually inhibit learning. Dr. Dimitri Christakis of the University of Washington in Seattle talks with Madeleine Brand.
Buried right at the end of this very serious report is the fact that later in life, all of the "lost language acquisition" is essentially made up for. Yes, not only do mothers today spend more time parenting their little ones than in any other generation, but we should feel guilty about setting the little tots in front of the TV when we are not with them. You have to hand it to better living through Science.
Thank God I actually "forced" Hayes to become more brain-dead by putting him in front of the Baby Einstein library of videos in his early childhood. Otherwise, he'd be building nuclear bombs by now!
1 comment:
The speech-language pathologist in my is dying to see this study. I didn't hear the podcast but I read an interview with the researchers on the Time website and I have to say, any time I hear absolutes right next to "probably"s in the same conversation... well, it makes me question things.
I'm not saying that Baby Einstein is better than Mom and Dad, or even that it is helpful -- but I find it hard to believe that it is actually harmful. There are too many variables for my comfort (that's why I want to see this study!).
Ah, yes. Leave it to some schmuk in a language lab to make us feel like failures as parents. So helpful!
And for the record? Baby Einstein is still parked in our van's DVD player. Sara names the pictures and talks about other concepts related to what she's seeing. Plus, she loves the music.
I'm not yet swayed.
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