“Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood”
The film proves to be very shocking and informative. I found myself stunned at the amount of control our nation’s youth had on American spending. 700 billion dollars were spent at the demand of children, and 40 billion more are spent by kids. That amount is more than economy of the 115 poorest countries in the world combined, which is shocking. I cannot believe that much money is being spent directly on or by children. Seeing the statistics after Regan’s deregulation in the 1980′s clearly shows the link between advertising aimed at children and the money being spent on children. Because parents are more likely to buy things if the child directly asks for it, advertisers use multiple techniques not so the parents will see it and buy it but so the child sees it and asks his or her parents. This method has proven to be much more successful and consistent. While I found all of this very interesting I wasn’t too concerned with the outcome, I mean parents were spending a lot of money on their kids, what’s new?
People spend money all the time; it’s up to the parents to show self control in my opinion. In that regard I was shocked but not concerned. However when they explored the techniques and extent that advertisers would go to in order to create a perfect ad for children I became much more disturbed.
Almost interrogating young kids, following them through stores even going into their bedrooms and bathrooms in order to gain an edge and earn a dollar. To me this was the true crime being committed by advertisers, if they want to have an ad campaign that is part of capitalism and making money but to go to that extent is a violation of a child. I was appalled by the fact that people would allow their children to be used and exploited like that.
In the United States everyone’s goal is to make money, that hasn’t changed in the past hundred years. So to hear that advertisers are trying to make money isn’t surprising to me; however the invasion of privacy and stalker feel that the advertisers would use in order to track everything a child used or liked was disturbing and a clear exploitation of young kids.
