With today’s technology advancing so quickly, and with getting this content in front of kids is in overdrive, plenty of parents question whether the onslaught of  digital media is a help or a hindrance to their growth.

Lots of parents set limits on how much television, computer, and video game time their kids can use. But the lure of educational screen time is HUGE.

Is there any sort of benefit from restricting digital consumption in kids?

Dr. John Hutton thinks there is. He KNOWS there is. Dr. Hutton is a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, owner of the blue manatee bookstore, and author of the Baby Unplugged™ books. He lives with his wife and three children, where they frequently play outside when John isn’t creating award-winning books or helping kids get better!

Dr. Hutton feels that “unplugging” your kids will encourage them to grow up more focused and imaginative! He is calling for a more technology-free childhood … and people are listening.

Please welcome John to the Spotlight!

MCA: Welcome to the spotlight. It was great to see you in Louisville, KY, at ABC Kids Expo and hear all about Baby Unplugged. Can you tell our audience what motivated you to create your books?
John: I am a pediatrician, a children’s bookstore owner, and father. I have always had a passion for books and outdoor/creative play. Over the past ten years or so, I have been increasingly concerned by how the “landscape of childhood” is changing, with electronic media playing a central role at the expense of “old-school,” unplugged activities. This as an increasingly important topic in pediatrics, linked to increased risk of childhood obesity, ADHD, sleep problems, and even allergies.

One major reason screen time is on the rise – allure and availability of technology aside – is the explosion of “smart baby” and other “educational” media, especially for young children, marketed to make them smarter, younger, faster, despite no evidence of benefit and mounting evidence of harm with excessive use. Such marketing takes advantage of parental anxiety and the illusion that technology is not only benign but necessary, lest they fall behind.

The Baby Unplugged™ board book series was inspired as a healthy response to this – it is fun, with a sincere mission. Children need and learn best through real experiences, real people, and exploring the real world, driven by innate curiosity and a desire to connect. Baby Unplugged™ is a celebration of timeless experiences and icons of childhood – Blanket, Yard, Pets, Book… – each a catalyst for these, rooted in how developing brains work. They are meant to reassure families that simple and unplugged are not only OK, but best, with learning a natural extension as opposed to overt task.

Children raised with a firm foundation in these “old-school” experiences and skills they foster will not only be healthier and more confident, but equipped with the imagination and focus to do whatever they want in life – including work with computers when they are older and developmentally ready.

The Baby Unplugged™ mantra: Technology can wait. Unplug, tune in, and have fun!

MCA: Now that you have award-winning books, what are your goals for the next year?
John: My goal is to continue to develop the Baby Unplugged™ series. Four new titles came out in June 2012. We are developing a catalog, to expand our network of independent retailers, museum shops, and other family-friendly venues, to get these books into as many little hands (and mouths, on occasion) as possible.

To promote the books and the mission behind them (uniting recent scientific research and personal narrative to help kids stay “screen-free until three”), I will continue posting to my blog, www.BabyUnplugged.com. I enjoy speaking to groups of physicians, parents, and educators, and hope to do more of this, as well. Meanwhile, I will continue my part-time pediatric practice, working with families directly.

MCA: Can you share with us three ways your Mom’s Choice Award® will help you attain your goals.
John:1) A recognizable seal of approval enhancing the allure, integrity, and quality of the brand.
2) Enhanced writerly morale, affirming the hard work that has gone into these books and their marketing.
3) Greater outreach via an expanding social media network.

MCA: Being a children’s author is very different from being a pediatrician. What did you learn about yourself as a writer in creating your award-winning books? 
John: This process has reaffirmed my love for writing, sharing books with children, and their intersection. It has also highlighted my persistence, as I spent many years in the authorly unpublished wilderness before winning a Mom’s Choice Award®.

Most of all, it has underscored my commitment to pediatric advocacy and the mission of Baby Unplugged: preserving and celebrating a traditional, low/no-tech landscape for young children and then gradually introducing screen-based media when they are developmentally ready.

MCA: Since launching your book, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
John: I am always touched and honored to hear from parents how their children enjoy reading my books. Despite all of the discussion of mission, what really matters is that Baby Unplugged™ is fun for children to read. One mother came in to our bookstore (blue manatee) to buy a replacement copy of [amazon_link id=”1936669005″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Blanket[/amazon_link], which she said her 10-month old loved so much she wouldn’t stop kissing and drooling on it. The pages had become tattered.

A two year old, enamored by a featured cat, insisted that she hold Pets in the family Christmas photo. On a grownup level, I have enjoyed presenting Baby Unplugged™ to groups of educators (recently at the Cincinnati Museum Center) in the context of a more comprehensive pediatric advocacy talk: Analog Kids in the Digital Age.

MCA: As a new honoree, do you have any questions you’d like some of the “old hands” to answer for you?
John: After winning this award and gaining greater recognition for your product, there is temptation to seek a larger partner to assist with distribution, e.g. a national publisher for books. What are the promises and pitfalls of such collaboration, versus continued development in-house?

MCA: That is a very good question, John! MCA Alumni – what are your experiences with publishers and distributors?

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

[amazon_link id=”1936669005″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] Baby Unplugged: Blanket
by Dr. John Hutton; Illustrated by Andrea Kang
blue manatee Publishing, 2011
Gold: Children’s Picture Book series
[amazon_link id=”1936669021″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] Baby Unplugged: Pets
by Dr. John Hutton; Illustrated by Andrea Kang
blue manatee Publishing, 2011
Gold: Children’s Picture Book series
[amazon_link id=”1936669013″ target=”_blank” container=””container_class=”” ][/amazon_link] Baby Unplugged: Yard
by Dr. John Hutton; Illustrated by Andrea Kang
blue manatee Publishing, 2011
Gold: Children’s Picture Book series

Contact, Connect, and Network with John

The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.