William Clark, co-founder of the much loved Baby Einstein brand, is going to court. Why? He’s seeking a court order that would require the University of Washington to release data from two of their studies linking kids’ viewing habits with attention deficit problems and delays in speech development.
In a statement made earlier this month, Clark said that he wanted to know why the university considered the research, which made specific reference to the brand, to be groundbreaking. Other similar studies, he pointed out, had very different outcomes. He would like further information on methodology and also suggested that the studies may be replicated in order to see if a similar outcome is reached.
Clark, and his wife Julie Aigner-Clark, created the Baby Einstein brand in 1996. The use of bright colors, natural photography and of course the classical music, made the brand an instant hit with moms and kids alike. In 2001 the brand was acquired by Disney.
Nevertheless, Baby Einstein has not being without its critics – some parenting groups felt that it encouraged too much screen time for very young infants.
In 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that infants under the age of two shouldn’t have any screen time at all.
Clark hopes his lawsuit will shed light on the whole screen time/ child development debate. He added that the studies pointed to entertainment programming, as opposed to educational programming, as a possible cause of ADHD problems in young viewers.
The founders fiercely defend their product and are proud of what they say it has achieved. Has your family enjoyed Baby Einstein products? What are your views?
Many thanks to Online Mom for bringing this issue to my attention!
