Baby Learning Apps are Misleading

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has approached the Federal Trade Commission to go after the mobile app industry’s false advertising of learning apps for babies.  In particular, they are going after industry claims that dupe parents into thinking the apps are “educational” or “teach” rather than just entertaining.  The Campaign is focusing on Fisher-Price’s “Laugh & Learn” mobile apps and Open Soluction’s games such as “Baby Hear & Read” and “Baby’s First Puzzle.” The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages any “screen time” for infants and toddlers under two years old, and the Campaign states that “Everything we know about brain research and child development points away from using screens to educate babies.”  At least one study indicates videos can even delay language development.   Parents take heed of these warnings as the Campaign was recently successful in getting the FTC to levy heavy fines on a company claiming it could teach babies as young as 9 months old to read.  This trend of deceptive marketing by app developers needs to be brought to a halt.