Psychologists Challenge Ethics Of Marketing To Children

News Type: Event — Seeded on Thu Dec 4, 2008 5:11 PM EST

Article Source: mediachannel.org

When it comes to spending money on consumer goods, Madison Avenue apparently never underestimates the power of a whining child. And as the advertising industry increasingly aims commercial pitches directly at the very young, more and more companies are turning to child psychologists to help them hone their message.

Some specialists in child development and psychology are disturbed by the trend. Dr. Allen Kanner is one of them. A clinical child psychologist for nearly 20 years, Kanner works with children from the inner city and the wealthy suburbs. But regardless of where they come from, Kanner says, the children he sees share one thing in common: a growing, even insatiable, desire for material goods.

Published to:

nearing's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: America's Need For Change, Corporatism, EconoViners, EconVine, Hall of Mirrors, LeftWing Warriors, NeuroNews, Our Orwellian World, Psych, Soc, Philos, Respectful Debate
Regions: none

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

2.6

{"commentId":4294750,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

Really? Where have you guys been for 30 plus years?

{"commentId":4294750,"threadId":"434822","contentId":"2178047","authorDomain":"nearing"}

2 votes

#1 - Thu Dec 4, 2008 5:13 PM EST

{"commentId":4295951,"authorDomain":"greenarcher170"}

bluearcher

Interesting article but its seems they ignore a primary factor. At home education of self discipline.

Combine this consumer need with the level of disposability of everything and nearing really hammers the point home. What happened to the days when things were fixed\repaired and not thrown away?

{"commentId":4295951,"threadId":"434822","contentId":"2178047","authorDomain":"greenarcher170"}

1 vote

#2 - Thu Dec 4, 2008 6:38 PM EST

{"commentId":4297248,"authorDomain":"kahaire"}

Rella

As someone who works in marketing, I understand why the ads are aimed at kids. You are trying to generate demand, and the kids are the end consumer. And parents will sacrifice things for themselves in order to provide things for their kids. But I also worry about the ethics of this, because the things being marketed are necessities, or even necessarily beneficial, to kids. But I also put a large bit of responsibility on the parents. The parents need to learn how to say "NO" to their kids, and stick to their guns. Kids these days are too spoiled, and parents are too worried about "keeping up with the Jones."

{"commentId":4297248,"threadId":"434822","contentId":"2178047","authorDomain":"kahaire"}

2 votes

#3 - Thu Dec 4, 2008 8:56 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"434822","isPrivate":false}

NEARING

Backyard

Psychologists Challenge Ethics Of Marketing To Children

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF: