Baby Einstein, a Disney owned company, selling a collection of videos and interactive media, has come under fire over the past week. Parents have begun to ask for (and receive) refunds for purchases they had made of Baby Einstein products on the grounds that the company's products don't actually aid a child's development. Refunds are being given to any purchases made between June 2004 and June 2009. The company is also offering upgrades or exchanges. (More details here.)

At the heart of this issue is technology's role in a child's early development. The burning question is for children under the age of two, is all screen time bad? The American Academy of Pediatrics thinks so.  The AAP experts recommends no TV time (AKA Baby Sitter 3000) whatsoever for kids that young, an issue which was recently discussed in The Wall Street Journal.

In response, Baby Einstein recently updated their About Us section to reflect their disagreement with the AAP on this issue. They write:

"And, while we respect the American Academy of Pediatrics, we do not believe that their recommendation of no television for children under the age of two reflects the reality of today’s parents, families and households – for example, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that 68% of all babies under two years old watch screen media on any given day. The Baby Einstein Company believes that when used properly, developmentally-appropriate video content can be a useful tool for parents and little ones to enjoy together."

No link to the Kaiser FF study was provided however.

On their Twitter account, Baby Einstein also says that parents should be able to make their own decisions as to what's best for their kids.  And apparently the gals at The View agree.

I'm not sure whether this argument is even relevant to the issue. No one has legislated that Baby Einstein products be pulled from the shelves. Parents did, do and still have the freedom to make their own decisions regarding how to raise their kids and which products to buy for them. Organizations, like the AAP, can make their recommendations on what they think is best for children.  But recommendations are just that, recommendations, like 'don't go swimming immediately after you eat'. You're free to obey or ignore.

What the uproar is really about is delivering on what you advertise.  And more than enough parents felt what was advertised was misleading and fraudulent. Fair enough. However, the real alarm should be how many parents actually thought having a child stare at the TV for hours on end would help the child's development.  TV, after all,  is no substitute for one-on-one parenting.

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