YOUNG CHILDREN, NEW MEDIA

In May 2006 a new cable channel entered American television; BabyFirstTV became the first 24 hour cable and satellite network to offer programming aimed at viewers between 6 months and 3 years old. Earlier in the spring, Sesame Workshop released a DVD series, ‘‘Sesame Beginnings,’’ designed for children 6 months to 2 years old to compete with the well known ‘‘Baby Einstein’’ series of infant videos. These media directed at the very young are only the latest of a trend to both program for and attract very young children to audio-visual media. In addition to cable networks and DVDs, interactive toys, cell phones, websites, and other content are now directed at the very young child as well (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006). Data from two Kaiser Family Foundation surveys of the parents of children 6 months to 6 years over the past 4 years (2003, 2006) provide evidence that electronic media are an increasingly important part of the lives of the very young. This paper will examine the use of electronic media by children under three and will examine what impact such early viewing might have on children’s development. The past decade in American media life has demonstrated the presence of screen media—television, videos, DVDs, computers, videogames—in the lives of very young children. Both the 2003 and 2006 national surveys of media use by children under six conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation have provided evidence that American children are more likely today to spend time with screen media than print media or free play. All of this is occurring at a time when media directed at young children is facing criticism: for instance, since 1999 the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends discouraging children under two from watching any screen media and limiting older children to 2 hours or less per day (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999). There are questions regarding the impact of such early media use on children’s cognitive and social development, including questions regarding just how and when children do learn from screen media (Wartella, Vandewater, & Rideout, 2005). Moreover, more than 35 years of experience with preschoolers using Sesame Street has demonstrated that 4to 6-year-olds can learn important skills such as their numbers and letters, as well as pre-reading skills that can have a positive effect on them as they enter elementary school (Wright et al., 2001); however, the impact of these educational shows on younger children is less clear (Linebarger & Walker, 2005). There is no clear cut evidence regarding young children’s learning from screen media. In fact, what is most surprising is the dearth of studies on the very young (those under three) including examination of the likely consequences of their early screen media on development.