Raymond Morel 4137 days ago
Media millenium babies
" The controversial television channel BabyFirst TV for babies between 6 months and 3 years which started in the US in 2004 has recently been launched in France. Their website claims the following:
“It’s Not Traditional TV - It’s a Brand New Educational Tool: BabyFirst transforms traditional TV into an interactive and educational tool that relies on the television as a medium to deliver high-quality programming and an engaging experience for both baby and parents. BabyFirst can enrich the connection between parents and baby and give them new opportunities for learning and playing together.”
BabyFirstTV is not the first of its kind neither is it alone in an ever burgeoning market of multimedia for babies, with the first TV show started for babies"Teletubbies" in Britain a decade ago, and Baby Einstein, which sells DVDs for children as young as 1 month.
Should babies be watching TV? The fact is that they do and are attracted to the moving screen. It was just a matter of time before commercial companies seized onto stilted scientific evidence regarding the enhanced learning capacitities in early infancy to tailor toys and televisions programmes to this susceptible market of parents wanting both the best for their children and not to feel guilty about using the tv as babysitter.
The recent CERI publication “Understanding the Brain: the birth of a new learning science” has a chapter on Dispelling Neuromyths such as: “There is no time to lose as everything important about the brain is decided by the age of three” which debunks the myth about synaptogenesis and that it is in the early years that a child is the most capable of learning.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has attempted to set out some guidelines about televion and the family:
A word about...TV for toddlers
Children of all ages are constantly learning new things. The first 2 years of life are especially important in the growth and development of your child's brain. During this time, children need good, positive interaction with other children and adults. Too much television can negatively affect early brain development. This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others is so important.
Until more research is done about the effects of TV on very young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television for children age 2 or younger. For older children, the Academy recommends no more than 1 to 2 hours per day of educational, nonviolent programs."
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