A Resource for Research on Interactive Media

If you're like me, you're a little skeptical of the new electronic toys and software being marketed to young kids. Are they all bells and whistles? Do they captivate a child's imagination? Do children as young as 3 years old -- the target age of some of these toys and games -- have the motor control to use them?

The answer, I'm learning, depends heavily on how the toy is made and whether the manufacturers have any sense of the developmental stages in early childhood. (I'm hoping to write much more on this topic soon.) But there is no doubt that interactivity has become the buzz word of the toy and software industry.

That's why I was interested to hear about the latest report from Children Now, released last week: The Effects of Interactive Media on Preschoolers' Learning. Christy Glaubke, a director at Children Now, wrote the report and announced some of the findings at the Paley Center on October 25th, in an event sponsored by the American Center for Children and the Media. (Full disclosure: I was there on stage with Glaubke to introduce and answer questions about my book, Into the Minds of Babes.)

A quick synposis of the report might go like this: There is so much we don't know. We're all thirsting for more research. But for sure, many preschoolers are using interactive technologies. For example, the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2003 found that 64 percent of 3-to-5 year old children can use a mouse.

Now, which technotoys actually inspire play and learning? There haven't been many hard answers yet, and when they do arrive, they are all over the map. An interactive Arthur doll, no longer on the market, appeared to be a flop. On the other hand, research from 1992 showed some learning gains with software that was designed in synch with a child's developmental needs. (I know, I know, 1992? Wasn't that in the dark ages?) According to more recent research, when parents and teachers get involved, when they guide (but don't steer) during a child's experience with interactive software, the positive educational effects come through. To many of today's parents, this is something of a no-brainer, and it begs the question of what other parent-child interactions the technology is replacing. Yet, seeing how much media has become a part of most family's lives, you've gotta applaud something that triggers good, engaging moments for kids and families.

Glaubke closed her presentation with a call for more research, and her report offers a compelling outline for how to fill in the gaps. She has very young children of her own (twin 1-year olds!) so I know she'll be following this closely herself, both at home and at work. But it's helpful have a report that brings the research together in one place and tries to make sense of what we have so far.