Electronic Baby Toys Associated with Decrease in Quality and Quantity of Language in Infants
Electronic toys for infants that produce lights, words and songs were associated with decreased quantity and quality of language compared to playing with books or traditional toys such as a wooden puzzle, a shape-sorter and a set of rubber blocks, according to an article published online by JAMA Pediatrics.
Electronic toys that make noises or light up are extremely effective at commanding children’s attention by activating their orienting reflex. This primitive reflex compels the mind to focus on novel visual or auditory stimuli. The study by Sosa in this issue of JAMA Pediatrics suggests that they may do more than just command children’s attention; they appear to reduce parent-child verbal interactions. Why does this matter?
Conversational turns during play do more than teach children language. They lay the groundwork for literacy skills, teach role-playing, give parents a window into their child’s developmental stage and struggles, and teach social skills such as turn-taking and accepting others’ leads. Verbal interactions of course are only part of the story. What is missing from this study is a sense of how nonverbal interactions, which are also an important source of social and emotional skills, varied by toy type.
Article:
http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2478386
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I think it's important. It may be because of reduced interaction, or reduced imaginative play, or just the serious deficit of social skills plaguing our culture. However, I know as a handicapped autistic that the the most important skill you can learn is social interaction. with it you can rule the world with a smile. Without it, nothing you can do will have any value in the eyes of others because they simply don't like you as a person.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we live in a world with too many distractions, when it is easier to just use gadgets and toys to pacify. As with everything, moderation is important, but we become over reliant on technology rather than going back to the fundamentals of learning and interaction which is human to human
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