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May 1,
2006
Contact:
Josh Golin (857-241-2028);
josh<at>commercialfreechildhood.org
For
Immediate Release
CCFC Files FTC Complaint
Against Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby;
Parents Deserve Honest
Information About Baby Videos
Citing a
lack of evidence that screen media is beneficial for babies and
growing concern that it may be harmful, the Campaign for a
Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) filed a complaint today with
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against Baby Einstein and
Brainy Baby, two of the leading producers of videos for infants
and toddlers, for false and deceptive advertising. The
complaint charges that these companies are violating Section 5
of the Federal Trade Commission Act by marketing their videos as
educational for babies. CCFC is asking the FTC to prohibit Baby
Einstein and Brainy Baby from making claims about the
educational and developmental benefits of their videos and
require that advertisements, packaging and websites for all baby
videos prominently display the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP)
recommendation of no screen time for children under two.
“These
companies are exploiting parents’ natural tendency to want
what’s best for their children and their deceptive marketing may
be putting babies at risk.” said Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint of the
Judge Baker Children's Center and Harvard Medical School.
Research suggests that television viewing for babies is
negatively associated with cognitive development, regular sleep
patterns, and time spent interacting with parents and engaged in
creative play.
CCFC’s
complaint charges that the videos’ packaging, websites,
advertisements, and even the names “Baby Einstein” and “Brainy
Baby” are likely to mislead parents into believing that they are
beneficial to babies’ development. For instance, on its
website, Baby Einstein claims its Baby Wordsworth video –
designed for babies as young as one year -- “will foster the
development of your toddler’s speech and language skills.”
Similarly, Brainy Baby’s claims on its website that its “brain
stimulating” Peek-A-Boo video “helps nurture such
important skills as object permanence, communication skills,
cause and effect, language development and many others.”
“The industry, when
pressed, acknowledges they have no proof these products do what
they say they do,” said pediatrician Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a
researcher at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in
Seattle and the senior author of “A Teacher in the Living Room,”
a study on educational media for babies, toddlers and
preschoolers released in 2005 by the Henry J. Kaiser Family
Foundation.
“Their
unfounded claims undermine the research-based advice that
families in my practice deserve."
“Baby
Einstein and Brainy Baby clearly violate the consumer protection
laws. The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits companies from
making false claims or claims they cannot substantiate.” said
Jennifer Prime of the Institute for Public Representation at
Georgetown University Law Center, which is representing CCFC in
its complaint.
There
are clear signs that the marketing of baby videos is effective.
To date, sales of videos for babies for children under two are
estimated at more than $1 billion. Last year, Disney’s Baby
Einstein alone took in about $200 million. By contrast, only 6%
of parents are aware of the AAP’s recommendation of no screen
time – regardless of content – for children under two.
“Parents
need honest information They have a right to know that baby
videos aren’t really educational and may even be detrimental to
their babies’ development,” said Dr. Susan Linn, CCFC’s
co-founder and author of Consuming Kids. “Just because
the marketing and media industries want to lure babies and
toddlers to screens doesn’t mean that Baby Einstein and Brainy
Baby can mislead parents about the benefits of their products.”
The
complete complaint and supporting documentation can be found at
http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/babyvideos/ftccomplaint.htm
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