Common Sense Media
aims to provide “trustworthy information to parents and teens about technology and media.” Founder and CEO Jim Styer has been working on this mission for
20 years. He’s the author of a new book,
Talking Back to Facebook: A Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age
, a look at how digital media affects the development of young children.
We asked Linda Burch, Chief Education and Strategy Officer,
about the explosion in sales of mobile apps targeting young children. “Common Sense Media research
shows that even our youngest children are interacting with mobile devices and apps on a regular basis. There’s definitely been an explosion in the last two
years driven by the ease in putting together a mobile app with learning-like content and they way these apps tap into some level of need by parents who are
anxious about getting a leg up or step ahead.”
On the risk of digital babysitting shifting from TV to tablets Linda said, “There’s no question that developmentally speaking zero to five is the time in a
child’s life when they should be interacting foremost with adults and peers for both cognitive development as well as social-emotional learning.” She
added, “No media can take the place of face-to-face interaction with a parent or caregiver.”
“We look at mobile apps as another tool in the parent’s toolbox or a kids play chest,” said Burch. “A really well-crafted mobile app that allows a child to
explore in an open ended way, allows parents to get involved, takes kids on and off screen, does not replace/displace time in face-to-face interaction and
physical interaction (with motor skills) can work really well. It’s a bridge to all sorts of things.” Burch emphasized however that context matters, “Apps
with the right children, right content at the right age can be really, really helpful.”
So how do parents make good choices? With the ocean of apps, it is hard for parents to know what to buy. “That’s where Common Sense comes into play. Our website helps parents find games, apps and websites that are both engaging and have learning
potential.” In April, Common Sense launched its new learning ratings initiative. Apps are tagged for age, subject, skills and platform and recommended
lists curate the best products.
Common Sense reviews are based on the assessment of 25 specially-trained raters and an expert editorial team. The system, built with support from Chicago
philanthropist Susan Crown and her social investment fund SCE, considers learning design, engagement, supports--about
a dozen dimensions in all, with a goal to convert a portion of the more than six hours per day that young people spend with digital media from leisure to
learning.
A few early childhood apps that with pretty good ratings include:
Morton Subotnick’s Pitch Painter
Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad
Speech with Milo: Sequencing
Feel Electric!
Alien Assignment
Toontastic
Calm Counter
(for children on the Autism spectrum), and
Peek a Zoo by Duck Duck Moose
.
“Susan Crown and SCE align with Common Sense Media’s mission to help parents find and make the best media choices for their kids. They challenged us to
expand our ratings to include learning potential and -- based on the feedback we are getting from parents -- we are thrilled to deliver on this vision,” said
Burch.
The biggest challenge for app developers is discoverability. Bruch sees the rating system as a great solution to this problem--at least for good apps.
“It’s our goal to stimulate market demand and high quality supply--to lift all boats and create a win-win for everyone.”
“Our point of view is that media is happening everywhere. There’s the explosion of learning potential,” Burch summarized. “There’s some real gems out
there, as well as things that aren’t so great, and there should be an easy way to discover quality and there should be a stimulus on the supply side to
create much better learning. That’s why we’re in it to help the whole ecosystem evolve.”
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