Der Beweis, dass TV Babies blöder macht: Disney Expands Its "Baby Einstein" Refunds
The Walt Disney Co. is expanding a refund program for its "Baby Einstein" videos for toddlers in response to challenges about the legitimacy of its educational claims.The company upgraded a customer satisfaction program beginning last month by explicitly offering cash refunds on any DVDs bought from June 5, 2004 to Sept. 4.
Buyers can also exchange DVDs for a "Baby Einstein" book or music CD, or receive 25 percent off a "Little Einstein" product. The offer expires March 4.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a Boston-based advocacy group, claimed "victory" Friday in its years-long battle to protect consumers from falsely believing the videos could, for example, teach words to babies under 2 years old.
"We believe that this is an acknowledgment that baby videos are not educational," said Susan Linn, a psychologist and director of the campaign.
The campaign complained to the Federal Trade Commission in May 2006, saying claims made on "Baby Einstein" packaging and the Web site were not supportable by scientific research.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under 2 years old watch no television or other "screen media." Experts say early television viewership can lead to attention problems, reports CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan.
medienkompentenz, my ass..