The Documentary, Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood, made in 2008, places needed light on the marketing practices of corporations used to make lifelong consumers. The director of this documentary spotlights the advertising practices done by companies to sell products to children, no matter how deceptive and manipulative. More specifically, the director draws attention to the negative repercussions caused by advertisements.
Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood highlights the corruption of advertising done to children following its deregulation in 1980. After deregulation, the FTC had no authority to regulate advertising and marketing to children, so marketers could do whatever they wanted to sell a product to children. As a result, marketers use the emotional connections of children to television characters to make a profit. On one hand, they create products from …show more content…
On the other hand, television shows are now permitted to be created for the sole purpose of promoting and selling merchandise and toys. Through these actions, the lengths that corporations go to to make the children of today powerful, persistent, and life-long consumers are sometimes deceptive and manipulative. For example, television shows are created for the purpose of selling a toy and product placement is weaved throughout programming to induce a desire for a product. Additionally, the rise in technology has allowed marketers to personally advertise to consumers without their parent’s knowledge or consent. Five million children between the ages of eight and twelve own a cell phone, which has also opened up many opportunities for companies to advertise. Those with internet access are micro targeted based on personal
Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood highlights the corruption of advertising done to children following its deregulation in 1980. After deregulation, the FTC had no authority to regulate advertising and marketing to children, so marketers could do whatever they wanted to sell a product to children. As a result, marketers use the emotional connections of children to television characters to make a profit. On one hand, they create products from …show more content…
On the other hand, television shows are now permitted to be created for the sole purpose of promoting and selling merchandise and toys. Through these actions, the lengths that corporations go to to make the children of today powerful, persistent, and life-long consumers are sometimes deceptive and manipulative. For example, television shows are created for the purpose of selling a toy and product placement is weaved throughout programming to induce a desire for a product. Additionally, the rise in technology has allowed marketers to personally advertise to consumers without their parent’s knowledge or consent. Five million children between the ages of eight and twelve own a cell phone, which has also opened up many opportunities for companies to advertise. Those with internet access are micro targeted based on personal