I think Consuming Kids was a powerful documentary that has a lot of valuable information to be aware of. It focuses on the relationship between product marketing and children and the countless affects it has on society and the next generation.
One of the major points discussed in the video is how the pressures of advertisement changes the way kids think, which in turn affects how they behave. Children are constantly being shown through social media and adverts about the newest products. They believe that they need these products to fit in and to be successful. The relationship between a parent and child is affected because of this, and so is the child's self worth. Suddenly, when a new iPhone comes out and a child doesn't have it, their self worth drops, if and when they buy the phone, they feel more confident and happy about themselves. Products and materials make kids feel happy and confident.
Adverts have taught girls that they need to be pretty and sexy which determines that value, and what they need to buy in order to feel this way. Marketers target boys by showing them the ideas and importance of masculinity, aggressiveness, power, and domination. These ideals all come through media and the advertisements of products. Boys are brought up feeling like they need to hide their emotions, and that they somehow are better than girls and need to be in power. Media takes over the concept of problem solving and boys in particular think that the solution to conflict is violence and fighting. Images of perfection surround girls all the time through the toys they play with, and the advertisements that support and sell them. Girls feel they need to look a certain way, and lose confidence and the ability to understand who they really are. Marketers are deciding children's fate for them, my generation is told what to have and how to feel instead of learning how to make these decisions ourselves.
Once the concern of advertisements and media had on education was made, educational toys and products were produced. These products were marketed to parents of school children who believed that these games would support their child's education. This is not the case, and research shows that these products may be hindering children's ability to learn and to grasp new ideas and concepts. As stated in the video, this is a billion dollar industry, that is a total scam. Marketers aren't looking out for children, they aren't thinking about whats best for the future generation. All they want is money. They wonder, how can we get children to keep consuming? Children are loosing the ability to be creative and imaginative which leaves them feeling empty and like they need more and more. Somehow, my generation (those who live privileged lives, with families who buy these products) are programmed to keep consuming, marketers are engrained the idea that the consumption of products solves everything.
The video also talked about the impact this has on the future. According to the video, attention difficulty disorder statistics are rising, and so is the health concern of obesity. In my opinion this video had a flaw. The impact marketing has on obesity was discussed in detail, but not that of eating disorders. Boys and girls self image is directly affected by marketing and the media. This issue is just as life threatening and prevalent in our society as obesity and it's extremely sad how little education people are given upon it. There is huge stigma on this topic and I think marketers have an enormous influence on this serious topic.
Overall, this video raised a lot of important ideas about the world of consumption that we live in. It is something that we all need to think about, and I hope that this system can be broken down and changed for the better. We can see the affect it has on all aspects of life, and we need to change.
One of the major points discussed in the video is how the pressures of advertisement changes the way kids think, which in turn affects how they behave. Children are constantly being shown through social media and adverts about the newest products. They believe that they need these products to fit in and to be successful. The relationship between a parent and child is affected because of this, and so is the child's self worth. Suddenly, when a new iPhone comes out and a child doesn't have it, their self worth drops, if and when they buy the phone, they feel more confident and happy about themselves. Products and materials make kids feel happy and confident.
Adverts have taught girls that they need to be pretty and sexy which determines that value, and what they need to buy in order to feel this way. Marketers target boys by showing them the ideas and importance of masculinity, aggressiveness, power, and domination. These ideals all come through media and the advertisements of products. Boys are brought up feeling like they need to hide their emotions, and that they somehow are better than girls and need to be in power. Media takes over the concept of problem solving and boys in particular think that the solution to conflict is violence and fighting. Images of perfection surround girls all the time through the toys they play with, and the advertisements that support and sell them. Girls feel they need to look a certain way, and lose confidence and the ability to understand who they really are. Marketers are deciding children's fate for them, my generation is told what to have and how to feel instead of learning how to make these decisions ourselves.
Once the concern of advertisements and media had on education was made, educational toys and products were produced. These products were marketed to parents of school children who believed that these games would support their child's education. This is not the case, and research shows that these products may be hindering children's ability to learn and to grasp new ideas and concepts. As stated in the video, this is a billion dollar industry, that is a total scam. Marketers aren't looking out for children, they aren't thinking about whats best for the future generation. All they want is money. They wonder, how can we get children to keep consuming? Children are loosing the ability to be creative and imaginative which leaves them feeling empty and like they need more and more. Somehow, my generation (those who live privileged lives, with families who buy these products) are programmed to keep consuming, marketers are engrained the idea that the consumption of products solves everything.
The video also talked about the impact this has on the future. According to the video, attention difficulty disorder statistics are rising, and so is the health concern of obesity. In my opinion this video had a flaw. The impact marketing has on obesity was discussed in detail, but not that of eating disorders. Boys and girls self image is directly affected by marketing and the media. This issue is just as life threatening and prevalent in our society as obesity and it's extremely sad how little education people are given upon it. There is huge stigma on this topic and I think marketers have an enormous influence on this serious topic.
Overall, this video raised a lot of important ideas about the world of consumption that we live in. It is something that we all need to think about, and I hope that this system can be broken down and changed for the better. We can see the affect it has on all aspects of life, and we need to change.