The popular Baby Einstein series that was said to help babies get smarter, has proven to do the opposite. Everyone wants their little kid to be a genius, so it's no surprise thousands of parents went crazy for the DVDs, books, CDs and toys.
An article in Time Magazine said that these products could be a huge mistake in the learning development of children.
Implications - The idea of Baby Einstein was to have your child sit in front of a screen and watch the video series. A new study on the products by Frederick Zimmerman and Dr. Dimitri Christakis from the University of Washington has found that the videos "may actually delay language development in toddlers." They also found that the products have the "strongest detrimental effect on babies 8 to 16 months old."
Products That Back-Fire
"Baby Einstein" Makes Infants Dumber
Trend Themes
1. Anti-screen Products - A trend towards developing products for children that limit screen time
2. Multisensory Learning - Products that engage multiple senses for childhood learning
3. Play-based Learning - A trend towards using play-based learning to encourage childhood development
Industry Implications
1. Educational Toys and Games - Opportunities for toy and game companies to produce innovative, play-based learning products
2. Children's Television Programming - A potential shift away from screen-focused programming towards multisensory options
3. Child Development Services - Services designed to assist parents in navigating the best approach to childhood development amidst emerging research