Apparently the government’s communication chief has just recently warned that watching DVD’s and playing video games during a car journey can be damaging to a kid’s vocabulary. Jean Gross went on to call on parents to talk to their kids and play traditional games with them. Playing games with kids, like I Spy, is better than silencing them in the car with movies and video games.

She went on to say that long car journeys are opportunities to help double a kid’s vocabulary. Kids of wealthy families are most at risk, because they are likely to have the latest technology, meaning that they can easily play movies in cars and avoid any other kind of interaction with others.

Mrs Gross said that she remembers when her kids were little, and they did spotting games in the car. However, with the Nintendo DS and other hand held video game systems, these games are played less. Research shows that kids that play and watch movies during these car rides could have trouble learning to speak.

However, others say that these driving games are not safe. According to road safety charity Brake, these driving games can be distracting to whoever is driving. This can cause them to take their eyes off the road and lose their focus.

Since Mrs Gross has taken up her post in January, she has traveled all over the country to visit projects designed to help parents learn how to talk to their kids. She went on to say that there is a great belief among some parents that talking will come by itself; however, it is not automatic.