Introduction: Electronic Media Use in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Recent years have seen an explosion in electronic media marketed directly at the very youngest children in our society: a booming market of videotapes and DVDs aimed at infants aged 1 to 18 months, the launching of the first television show specifically targeting children as young as 12 months old, and a multimillion dollar industry selling computer games and even special keyboard toppers for children as young as 9 months old. Despite this plethora of new media aimed at very young children, very little is known about young children’s use of such media or the impact of such media use on their development. Few existing studies focus on the media use of children younger than age 5. The striking dearth of empirically based knowledge stands in stark contrast to popular, policy, parental, and academic interest in the impact of media on young children. Given that the recent explosion in availability and affordability of many forms of electronic technology can reasonably be expected to increase, perhaps even accelerate, in the next 20 to 50 years, this lack of knowledge is particularly troubling. However, the lack of scientific knowledge in this area does not seem to have prevented as yet unsubstantiated claims regarding the positive impact of interactive media on young children’s development. Toy and video companies prey on the belief of parents that such toys have important effects and have fostered notions that simply watching certain videos or listening to tapes can enhance infant IQ and reading ability. In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics (1999) recommended that television viewing should be discouraged for children younger than the age of 2. This recommendation rests on the assumption that television viewing takes time away from social interactions with parents and caretakers. Although this assumption may be valid, it is