Analysis of Software Targetted at Children:
One Very Distressing Case Study

Rosemary Braun

Beckman Institute
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

14 October, 1999


Abstract:
We present an analysis of software available as part of a package computer deal targetted at children on a gender-specific basis. The results obtained were, sadly, not entirely a surprise.


I. Introduction

The October 1999 "ValPak" coupon mailing to the residents of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois contained a mail-order advertisement for "Barbie PC" and "HotWheels PC". The offers are for computer systems for children, including both hardware and software, each selling for $599. As the two offers were printed on the same piece of paper, and as the IP addresses for the websites of the two offers were identical, there is no reason to believe that the offers originate from two companies independent of one-another.

The differences in hardware between the two offers are primarily cosmetic (Barbie PC is pink with flowers; HotWheels PC is blue with yellow racing flames) or recreational in nature (camera for Barbie PC; racing wheel and pedals for HotWheels PC). Beyond this, the hardware offered is identical. The software, however, is very different, and it is this which bore analysis.


II. Methods and Madness

The data was obtained via careful perusal of the respective websites (www.barbiepc.com and www.hotwheelspc.com). The relevant data (ie, the software offered in each package as per the websites) is copied in Appendix A.

A simple statistical analysis was performed. The data for the Barbie package was supplied by the website in four categories: Barbie-related, Games, Internet, and Educational. The data for the HotWheels package was supplied by the website in four categories: HotWheels-related, Games, Internet, and Educational. As we are unable to evaluate the individual programs, we rely on the vendor's classification of educational vs play.

We define the fluff quotient Fp of a package p as follows:

Fp = ( Rp + Gp ) / Tp,

where Rp is the number of p-related titles, Gp is the number of games in package p, Tp is the total count of software titles in package p, and p may be either Barbie (B) or HotWheels (H). Similarly, we define the cerebral quotient of a package p as:

Cp = Ep / Tp ,

where Ep represents the count of educational titles in package p. Lastly, we define the stupidity factor Sp:

Sp = Fp / Cp = ( Rp + Gp ) / Ep .


III. Results

We find that the Barbie package has a significantly higher fluff quotient and a significantly lower cerebral quotient than the HotWheels package (table 1), producing a substantially higher stupidity factor.

Tp Fp Cp Sp
p = B 21 0.6667 0.2875 2.3333
p = H 20 0.4000 0.5500 0.7273
Table 1. Total titles, Fluff, Cerebral, and Stupidity values for each package (B for Barbie, H for HotWheels).

While it is imposible to compare the fluff titles of the two packages, it is possible to compare the educational titles. All of the Barbie educational titles may be found (to first approximation) in the HotWheels package; the HotWheels package has additional educational titles not found in the Barbie package (table 2).

Title of Software H B notes
Compton's Encyclopedia 2000 X X a
Compton's 3D World Atlas 1998 X X  
Math Workshop X X  
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing 10 X X  
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: the 90's X X  
Ultimate Writing & Creativity Center X X  
BodyWorks 6.0 X    
The ClueFinders Math 9-12 X    
Compton's The Complete Reference Collection X    
Kid Pix Classic X    
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis X    
Table 2. Existence of educational software titles in packages B and H. An x in the package column represents the existence of that software title.
Note a: the version of Compton's Encyc. 2000 is denoted as "Interactive" in package B and "Standard" in package H.


IV. Drip and Conclusions

QM calculations take a really long time to run, affording the scientist much time to consider the merits of children's software offers. The author is bored and needs a friend to play with. The rest is left as an exercise for the reader.


V. Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the funding agencies which are supporting her while her QM runs (thus giving her the time to contemplate gender-based offers), ValPak coupons for the inspiration, the University of Illinois for computing resources, and a certain software company for making a very inflated QM program.

The author would also like to thank her parents, who gave her her first "computer": a Speak n' Math.


Copyright 1999 Rosemary Braun


Fine Print: I am a physicist, not a social scientist. I have no idea if the "educational" software is really at all educational, or if any of the software classified as "games" might have educational merit. If you are in the position to send me software and an operating system under which to run it (I run Linux), I'll be more than happy to experimentally verify my data. The opinions expressed in this article are mine, and do not represent those of my research group, the Beckman Institute, or the University of Illinois. "We" in this article is understood to mean the researchers: me, myself, and I. This article is intended for amusement purposes only. If you share my sense of humor and are drinking coffee, this article may pose a choking hazard.