Citation

Langendorfer SJ. Int. J. Aquatic Res. Educ. 2015; 9(2): 114-115.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Bowling Green State University)

DOI

10.1123/ijare.2015-0026

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Because of the omnipresence of the Internet in our lives, I expect that most readers are like me and receive all manner of photographs, videos, stories, and humor online. As much as I have a reputation for enjoying and sharing jokes, two things I have received online that definitely are not funny, but, also potentially very dangerous, are videos and photos touting the importance of drownproofing programs for babies and young children, an area in which I have extensive background and interest. Many of you may have seen a widely disseminated video showing an unsupervised toddler wearing one-piece pajamas opening up a sliding glass door and walking out into the backyard swimming pool area. The toddler tries to reach a beach ball floating in the pool and falls in. As portrayed by the video, fortunately, this toddler had received drownproofing lessons and was conditioned to roll over onto his back and float until his parents discovered him and rescued him from the water. I have lost count how many times I have been sent this video by a well-meaning parent who inquires whether I think these lessons are good ideas! If you want to drive me crazy or hear me scream, just send me a link to this video and ask me this question.

Like those parents who have inquired, perhaps you are wondering yourself what possibly can be wrong with teaching a baby what appears to be an important survival skill. For starters, let me remind you that you cannot believe many things you read or see on the Internet! This video was constructed and widely edited by persons who are trying to sell their drownproofing lessons. It features a single instance of one child and the video has been highly edited. Think of all the camera angles used in the video; there likely were several cameras and videographers and probably a large production team creating the video who you purposefully cannot see. In my experience, to make a video of several minutes in length, there may have been many hours of raw footage edited into these few minutes. Like the perennial email letters you have received from a Prince in Nigeria asking for your help in return for millions of dollars, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

The promoters of these programs often claim that the program and its methods are based upon extensive "research." I challenge anyone to locate a single published research article in a peer-reviewed journal over the past 40–50 years that represents this so-called "research"; these studies simply do not exist.

Language: en