This rant that started with a comment I made over at Dave Chronic Malcontents, regarding children's time spent in front a computer or on a gaming system, and thought I would share it here as well.
Dave has an excellent review of ClubPenguin, an online community for tweeners (ages 7-12) and wonders about the notion of socialization and activity, and how modern kids are missing this when they spend time on the computer and gaming systems (Ninetendo, XBox, Wii, etc.).
Here is the comment:
My question is how do we get kids off the computer and gaming systems and back into the yards and streets playing hide and seek, freeze tag, kick the can, basketball, riding bikes, or any other physical activity. Too much time is spent on idle activity, and this is one (of many) factors which is leading to childhood obesity.
Don't get me wrong, I am just as guilty as the next with my kids. It is easier to plop them in front of the TV or computer then take them outside to play, but I know that idle time like this needs to be limited and other free play encouraged.
Luckily, my kids are still a bit too young and have not found Club Penguin yet. However I do know that they have been playing Playhouse Disney, NickJr, and PBS kids online, and that my kids are also exposed to annoying ads and pop ups, which daddy needs to come and get rid of so they can keep playing. If that kind of annoyance is avoided at Club Penguin that it is almost worth it. The funny thing about these sites is that after any show on these channels there is an advertising telling the viewers to go to their website to get more information, so often my son is singing about NickJr on CBS,
I was initially impressed with the above mentioned sites in the way they got my son interested in being on the computer and using the mouse to navigate around their sites. They offered some quasi-education games that taught him some basic skills about language and math. Now, as my son approaches 6, those sites do not offer a more advanced and difficult functionality that meets an older childs needs.
From a marketing perspective they are missing the boat. Because they have built a very strong brand awareness among the toddler set and are not extending that very well to the pre-tweeners (5-7 year olds) They are no longer offering quality content for my son, we have had to purchase software and seek other sites that will challenge my son. It is a shame since they have begun to develop a brand that could grow with the child, but now Disney and Nick and PBS is allowing these kids to slip away to places like Club Penguin.
I kind of view this strategy they way GM marketed their brands in the 50's. Your first car would be a Pontiac, very young and sporty. Next you would buy a Chevy, a nice family car. Then you move up to a Buick or Oldsmobile as you become a bit more prosperous. Then finally the Cadillac to mark the pinnacle of your career or retirement. It makes sense, there is a logical progression that was supposed to take place that would keep you with the brand throughout most of your driving life. It makes me wonder why these companies are not doing this here.
If you are going to drill my kids with your brand, lets face the face that it is inevitable, then you should also have a brand strategy that allows my child to stay with your brand throughout their online experience at they grow older and develop age appropriate interest. These new, more age appropriate sites would allow the children to expand their skills and minds online while I know they are still at a reputable and acceptable site. That would be a very good use of marketing dollars. Now, we parents are left to fend for ourselves to determine who owns this site, what information is being gathered, what are they doing with this information, who can access my child while they are online, what is the content of the games, is it appropriate for my child, etc.
I am glad I have a friend who has an older kid, so I can follow some of the trends and know what to look forward to in the coming years. Thanks Dave.
Then again, lets just do as I said earlier, shut off the TV and Computer and go outside and play. Nah, that is too difficult. What do you think?
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I have just flat refused to purchase a gaming system. They had the Nintendo 64 and it was just fighting all the time over the thing and they spent all their time on it. When it broke I refused to replace it. They begged for about a year but they finally stopped. I don't allow my children on the computer for any reason until they are at least 13 years old. If they need to look up something for school I do it while they stand by helping. After the age of 13 they are allowed to get online but I am sitting on the bed right behind them watching everything they do and the time online is restricted to 1 hour per day. Believe it or not They only complained about it for the first month now it's just normal and they are use to it.
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