Dear everyone,
I am unfamiliar with, and never used Baby Einstein products - what are your thoughts on this article?:
No Einstein in Your Crib? Get a Refund
By TAMAR LEWIN
Published: October 23, 2009
Parent alert: the Walt Disney Company is now offering refunds for all those “Baby Einstein†videos that did not make children into geniuses.
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They may have been a great electronic baby sitter, 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.â€
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.
In 2006, Ms. Linn’s group went to the Federal Trade Commission to complain about the educational claims made by Disney and another company, Brainy Baby. As a result, the companies dropped the word “educational†from their marketing. But the group didn’t think that was enough.
“Disney was never held accountable, and parents were never given any compensation. So we shared our information and research with a team of public health lawyers,†Ms. Linn said.
Last year, lawyers threatened a class-action lawsuit for unfair and deceptive practices unless Disney agreed to refund the full purchase price to all who bought the videos since 2004. “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development,†a letter from the lawyers said, calling those claims “false because research shows that television viewing is potentially harmful for very young children.â€
The letter cited estimates from The Washington Post and Business Week that Baby Einstein controlled 90 percent of the baby media market, and sold $200 million worth of products annually.
The letter also described studies showing that television exposure at ages 1 through 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7.
In response, the Baby Einstein company will refund $15.99 for up to four “Baby Einstein†DVDs per household, bought between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009, and returned to the company.
And I suppose it’s just better to be more informed about both sides of this ongoing argument with Susan Linn and Disney.
, I didn’t understand the question. She thought she had missed the window of opportunity to play BE for your baby, so he could be a genius. I would think that the bulk of parents, especially young mothers who just want the world for their babies, can’t distinguish between quality educational material and drivel. Disney does not care about educating your children, they just want your money and they want to turn your children into consumers as early as possible. Consumers think with their lizard brains, and Disney is good at getting to the lizard brain. If you want useful educational materials, look to any company who has been ridiculed, more than likely they were ridiculed because they were on to something.