Is Baby Einstein Bad for Children?
In 1997, a Georgia woman and her husband invested $18,000 of their own money to make an educational video for children called Baby Einstein in their home. In less than a year, Baby Einstein was earning more than $1 million a year. In 2000, profits rose to around $10 million. In 2001, the Baby Einstein Company was sold in entirety to the Walt Disney Company, and profits continued to rise.
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But now, in 2009, the Walt Disney Company is offering refunds for any Baby Einstein videos that didn’t turn children into geniuses.
The refunds come after the efforts of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. The Campaign was founded in 2002, and according to their website, is a coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups, parents, and individuals who care about children. The group’s primary goal is to remove the prominent commercialization and marketing to children that is present in today’s society.
In 2006, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood approached the Federal Trade Commission to dispute the educational claims made by the Walt Disney Company about their Baby Einstein products. Baby Einstein videos feature bright colors and music and few words, and are designed to appeal to babies under two years old. According to a study in 2003, one third of all American babies from six months to two years old had at least one Baby Einstein video.
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But according to the American Academy of Pediatrics states that children under two should not be exposed to any television viewing. A study conducted by The Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and the Harvard Medical School showed that children do not receive any cognitive benefit from watching television – including videos labeled as educational – in their first two years of life.
After the Campaign for a Commercial-Fee Childhood’s initial appeal to the Federal Trade Commission, The Walt Disney Company and another company, Baby Brainy, dropped the word “educational” from all marketing promoting their products. The Campaign did not feel the removal of one word was enough, and threatened a class-action lawsuit for unfair and deceptive practices in 2004.
In 2009, Baby Einstein, which also produces a full line of toys, books, clothing, and DVD’s such as “Baby Mozart,” “Baby Shakespeare” and “Baby Galileo,” agreed to offer what they are calling “enhanced consumer satisfaction guarantees” for any purchases made of their DVDs.
In this offer, the Baby Einstein Company will give every household a refund of $15.99 for up to four “Baby Einstein” DVDs purchased between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009. In order to receive reimbursement, the DVDs must be returned to the company.
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