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A sentimental representation of childhood innocence
Kids' consumerism is nothing new in itself - however, over the last 100 years it has, like other aspects of consumer culture, intensifed. In the early 20th century, cultural attitudes towards children change (with the emergence of new, post-Romantic ideas of childhood) - they become seen as sacred and precious - in need of careful protection. Just as they were being recognized as a distinct and special group, they were also coming to be seen as a potential market (Buckingham, 2011, p. 70). -
1920s: Domesticated consumption
The 20s saw the rise of toy marketing, in shop displays, catalogues and advertisements, although this was still mostly targeted at parents. For them, toys were seen as essential apparatus for children's development, and domestic play regarded as an alternative to the 'rowdyism of street society' (Buckingham, 2011, p. 73). "The child with toys is a symbol of the pleasures of consumerism, of the new objects primarily designed for leisure and fantasy" (Kline, 1993, p. 61). -
1930s: Children's autonomy as consumers
When children's radio programs began to air in the early 30s, it captivated millions whom tuned into programs like Little Ophan Annie. As the cost of production rose, the programmes themselves were increasingly developed and produced by advertising agencies. This period also saw the emergence of the 'toddler' as a new marketing category, a figure popularized in the media by child stars such as Shirley Temple (Buckingham, p. 77) -
1940s: Entertainment for socialization
Early animated films such as Disney's Fantasia were regarded as a positive way of encouraging children's imaginations. The popularity of the medium also afforded a new way to introduce pre-literate children to good, moral literature such as folk tales. Soon, educators would incorporate the use of film to make school more interesting. Despite this, concerns were raised about the way film enabled access to inappropriate media content and whether children were able to interpret what they saw. -
1950s: TV 's big breakthrough
The arrival of TV in most homes was greeted with great enthusiasm as it seemed to afford many new possibilities. From an educational standpoint, it was taken up as "an ideal tool for teaching inner-city kids, whose schools were plagued by under-funding, teacher shortages, and supply gaps" (Hoechsmann & Poyntz, p.46), though it was later proved less effective than initially thought. Most notably, TV shifted the role of advertising, giving more power to advertisers to commercialize kids' play. -
1960s: Content, or the lack thereof
The early 60s saw the rise of low-cost formuliac cartoons (ex. Hanna Barbara cartoons - The Flintstones, The Jetsons) which were very effective at producing children as a key 'audience commodity.' With increasing product spinoffs, TV became synonymous with the selling and marketing of goods to youth. Children were watching 3 hours of TV per day compared to 1.5 hours in the mid 1950s. Advertisers soon recognized that children could also be a part of a cross-over market in a prime-time audience. -
Sesame Street
Sesame Street was launched "to promote peaceful multicultural societies and to provide inner-city kids with a head start in developing literacy and numeracy skills" (Hoechsmann and Poyntz, p. 48). The progam proved to be a huge hit - adapting the conventions of commercial media (muppets, music, animation, live-action, special effects) to deliver mass literacy at home. Moreover, it has demonstrated the unique pedagogical potential of learning media. -
1970s: The best and worst of times
A more activist stance by the FCC and FTC in the 70s helped somewhat to keep growing commercialism in check. However, a movement toward free-market ideologies in the later part of the decade (reinforced by the election of Reagan as president) put an end to any significant federal challenges. -
1980s: Technology reaches groundbreaking strides
The advent of video games and the VCR meant children's time in front of screens only increasing. Their immersion in mass mediated entertainment enhances their ablity to recognize brands and trains them to associate brands with pleasure. The movement to deregulate media companies would prevent the FCC from creating policies that would monitor/regulate how commercial media companies target children and youth. -
1990s: The commercialization of classroom space
The proliferation of media channels saw the reduction of audience size for children's programs. Marketers turned to schools as a way to maximize their audience for commerical messages. Channel One news began airing in schools a 12-minute broadcast (made up of 10 min. news specifically for teens, and 2 min. of commercial messages). In exchange for a daily audience of almost six million U.S. school children, Channel One provides free video equipment for participating schools. -
2000s - present
This era is marked by a move from mass media to interactive media. As computers become the hub for a range of "screen-based play," marketers are exploring new ways to market to young people through online media and wireless devices, often using subtle techniques whereby consumers are immersed in branded envionments, frequently without knowing that they are being exposed to sophisticated marketing campaigns. The distinction between advertisement and content is increasingly blurred.
