Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

10.3.11 | The LA Times reports on the release last month of VINCI, a new 7-inch touch screen tablet computer that’s being marketed exclusively to children age 4 and younger. Running on an Android platform and released by Rullingnet Corp., the device sells for around $400 and, interestingly, is not Wi-Fi enabled, “so children cannot inadvertently download inappropriate material.”

The tablet does apparently come loaded with stories and games to teach numbers and letters and is marketed as a “new category of learning system.”

Regardless of whether 2-year-olds need to be learning their numbers and letters, the article raises some important questions about the use of technology in early childhood and quotes yet another study showing that kids are using computers at even younger ages: “A recent study by Parenting magazine and BlogHer found that 29% of Generation X moms say their children had played with a laptop by age 2, and that number grows to 34% for Generation Y moms. Roughly one-third of Gen Y moms also report that by age 2 their children were familiar with cellphones, smartphones and digital cameras.”

Of course, as the article notes, just because infants are interested in playing on their mom’s cellphone doesn’t mean they are learning from doing so. And especially with marketers’ growing interest at targeting children at earlier ages, there is some appropriate skepticism here. A 3-year-old who uses a tablet has very different developmental learning needs than an 8-year-old, namely interacting directly with caregivers.

Toby Mintz, an associate professor of psychology and linguistics at USC, said one important question to ask is: What is the infant not doing because she is using the device? “If she is not watching a cartoon on TV, then the device might be providing some benefit,” he said. “On the other hand, if it is replacing time exploring the world on her own, or interacting with a caretaker, that could be a disadvantage.”

We spent some time delving into exactly this issue of how young children can use new media for learning in developmentally appropriate ways last year. You can read more about the issue on Spotlight. We are also following the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s draft statement on the use of technology in early childhood programs. The final statement is expected this fall.