My 3-year-old granddaughter woke up in the middle of the night crying, “I love Elmo.” We laugh. Weeks later he woke up screaming, “I want Elmo NOW!”
Children are being programmed to covet products, to “need” them. Cradle-to-grave marketing is aimed at everyone, even young children and babies. Between the ages of 2 and 11, a time of intense brain development, children see more than 25,000 commercials a year on television alone.
Children are learning that it’s all about me and me now. They are taught to scold their parents until they get what they want. Parental authority is being usurped. When exhausted parents give in, traditional values are challenged, weakened, and undermined.
Before the days of marketing to children, citizenship was taught in schools. In fact, my report card included grades for the 3Rs and also for Citizenship. Now the courtesy, respect and consideration of others have taken a back seat, and social problems have increased dramatically.
Narcissism has reached epidemic proportions. In addition, according to Community Matters, “bullying and other forms of abuse are occurring at younger ages, they are becoming more petty and more acceptable in the youth culture.”
Businesses spend $ 17 billion annually on marketing to children, flooding them with advertising 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This advertising pays for itself at $ 500 billion in annual child-influenced purchases. However, are there effects on the mental health and well-being of our children that can be considered “collateral damage” of materialism?
The media also promote eating disorders, early sexuality, youth violence, and family stress. In addition, it contributes to the decline in children’s ability to play creatively. Children can no longer be children.
I highly recommend a shocking, haunting, and heartbreaking movie: “Children Who Consume: The Marketing of Children.” It should be mandatory for all adults who care about children. Watch this 5-minute trailer for Consuming Kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maeXjey_FGA.
To find out what you can do to save your own children, see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_-q0bAj6ME.