Digital Ehon Award Interview Series, Vol. 1

“Children Are Born as Information Seekers.”

　Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Honorary Director of the National Children’s Hospital, Dr. Noboru Kobayashi.Based on the principle that “Children are born as biological beings and grow up as social beings,” he advocates for “Child Studies,” an interdisciplinary field that examines children from both the natural and human sciences. We asked him how he views the relationship between Digital Ehon, new media, and children.

“Children are born as information seekers.”Professor Kobayashi emphasizes this point. From the moment they are born with a loud “Wah!”, babies begin looking around, wondering, “What is this world like?” If there is bread in front of them, they stare at it; if the lights are on, they gaze intently at them. Children are born with a built-in program to seek information, so even when given a new device, they learn by playing with it.This stands in stark contrast to adults, who try to understand things by reading instruction manuals. Professor Kobayashi argues that, with a thorough understanding of these brain mechanisms, the technology to process information presented to children will be extremely important in the coming era.

　How did Professor Kobayashi view the entries and initiatives submitted to the Digital Ehon Awards?“Last year, when the event was held for the first time, everything felt new, and I even experienced a sense of wonder. This year, being the second edition, the novelty had faded somewhat, so it lacked that initial freshness. However, on the other hand, many of the entries featured various technical innovations, and I was impressed—as one would expect from Japan. I felt that something originating in Japan might one day take the world by storm.Japan is currently in a recession, but as we enter the information age, I think it would be wonderful if this field became one of the ways Japan can survive. That is precisely why this award is so meaningful,” he shared. He continued, “Since this initiative is closely tied to education, I hope everyone keeps children in mind as they work hard on this.Kindness is essential when creating Digital Ehon.”

What does the “kindness” the teacher refers to mean? “I want you to provide something that fills children with the joy of living when they see it. In French, it’s called ‘Joie de Vivre’ (the joy of living). To achieve that, kindness is necessary.The love that adults have for children—and their desire to convey that love to them—is indispensable.” She also pointed out the need to examine how information affects children.
　“It’s pointless to simply tell children not to use media. Children are naturally drawn to seeking out information. However, I believe we must thoroughly research and develop methods for how children process the information they are exposed to.”

　Dr. Kobayashi has experience leading a research team—primarily composed of pediatricians—during an era when it was said that watching television would turn the entire population of 100 million into idiots, and he conducted research on the effects of television on infants.
　At that time, he concluded his research with the finding that “television is a baby’s friend.”He said he consciously avoided reaching conclusions such as “television has a negative impact” or “television is wonderful.” “The goal was not to determine whether television is good or bad for infants, but to consider how we should interact with it given that it exists as a part of their daily lives,” he explained.
　However, they found that the relationship between infants and television—which had been a source of unfounded concern—was not as serious as feared, and they gained the impression that television could be used effectively, albeit under certain conditions.
It was truly fascinating to hear that infants are discerning and discerning viewers, and that the data showed no negative effects on visual development.“Adults worry about various things, such as whether a program is appropriate, but babies are actually quite capable of selecting programs and scenes for themselves.” Furthermore, regarding the impact on eyesight—the primary concern among parents—the researchers noted that “babies who watched TV actually had better eyesight than those who did not.”

　Of course, the conditions differ between television and tablets/smartphones—screen size, viewing distance, and interactivity. Parents are already voicing concerns about letting their children use this new media. “Isn’t it bad for their eyes? Won’t it disrupt their daily routines? Won’t it make them less sociable?”
　“As for the effects on eyesight, while further verification is needed, I don’t think there’s any harm as long as viewing is kept within reasonable limits. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that media might have a negative influence. However, this can be avoided by setting limits, such as watching together with mom and dad. Some families prioritize academics, others music—there are all kinds of family circumstances.It’s important for each family to discuss and establish guidelines so that children can interact with media in a way that suits their specific household.”
Rather than viewing this as a problem with media itself, the key is to properly manage it within the context of parent-child communication. Furthermore, it is asserted that “just as with television, when you weigh the harmful aspects against the beneficial ones, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.”

　When new media emerge, there is a tendency to view them negatively, especially in the context of children. “There is likely some resistance to new things.Humans are very unique creatures who live not only among material things but also within a world of information. People have always been drawn to information and have used it to build culture and society. This is demonstrated by how, in prehistoric times, people drew pictures of animals on cave walls to inform their peers, created language, and invented printing technology. Now that technology has advanced even further, that trend cannot be stopped.”

　While deftly and effortlessly operating a tablet, 85-year-old Professor Kobayashi murmured these final words:
“If Japan clings to old ways of thinking, it will fall behind.”