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American children aged 2 - 11 are watching more television than they have in years. New findings from the Nielsen Company show children aged 2-5 now spend more than 32 hours a week on average in front of a TV screen.
In a related development, the Walt Disney Company is now offering refunds for all those “Baby Einstein” videos that did not make children into geniuses. According the New York Times, these videos....
"... may have been great electronic baby sitters, but the unusual refunds appear to be a tacit admission that they did not increase infant intellect."
"'We see it as an acknowledgment by the leading baby video company that baby videos are not educational, and we hope other baby media companies will follow suit by offering refunds,' said Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which has been pushing the issue for years.
"Baby Einstein, founded in 1997, was one of the earliest players in what became a huge electronic media market for babies and toddlers. Acquired by Disney in 2001, the company expanded to a full line of books, toys, flashcards and apparel, along with DVDs including 'Baby Mozart,' 'Baby Shakespeare' and 'Baby Galileo.'
"The videos — simple productions featuring music, puppets, bright colors, and not many words — became a staple of baby life: According to a 2003 study, a third of all American babies from 6 months to 2 years old had at least one 'Baby Einstein' video.
"Despite their ubiquity, and the fact that many babies are transfixed by the videos, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children under 2."
Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care is a great resource for both beginning and experienced caregivers and an antidote to baby TV advocates. Each chapter describes an issue that caregivers face daily, offers scenarios that illustrate the challenge, suggests solutions caregivers can use to address the issue, and concludes with a review of key points.
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