Documentary Video
“Consumerism and the commercialization of childhood” will be aided by an adaptation of Rescuing the Church from Consumerism by SPCK. In 2003, only 50% of those entering school could recognize their own name, speak articulately, or count to five – 81% knew the Coca-Cola logo and 69% knew McDonald’s Golden Arches. They know more about Teletubbies than the Christmas story. What to do is our topic. Our biblical reference: “‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Mark 10:14). Handouts for reading will be available on Sunday, January 19th on the table at the door. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1337599/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
Summary
- Consuming Kids throws desperately needed light on the practices of a relentless multi-billion dollar marketing machine that now sells kids and their parents everything from junk food and violent video games to bogus educational products and the family car. Drawing on the insights of health care professionals, children’s advocates, and industry insiders, the film focuses on the explosive growth of child marketing in the wake of deregulation, showing how youth marketers have used the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. Consuming Kids pushes back against the wholesale commercialization of childhood, raising urgent questions about the ethics of children’s marketing and its impact on the health and well-being of kids.