Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood

Rating:
Summary: Valid points, terrible recommendations
Review: I have no doubt that American children are left to the mercy of commercialism to a harmful degree. I'm also disgusted by the sexualization of children. So I'm sympathetic to the author's views on those points. But these are hardly novel observations to thoughtful parents, and this book contributes nothing new to the discussion.

The book implodes when the author turns to solutions. Linn cannot imagine that parents are capable of and ought to assert themselves, taking responsibility for proper parenting. To her it is a "societal issue" that should be "addressed" by the State. As the father of a girl of 21 months, I am living refutation of that. I can raise my own child, and I do. I have exceptionally high expectations of my daughter, and she is already an avid book lover and highly verbal. (She doesn't say "hurtie" or a "boo boo," she says "abrasion.") I have no intention of sending her to the horrible public schools that Linn's beloved State already inflicts on children. (Predictably, Linn wants ever more tax dollars dumped into the bottomless pit of government education.) I also want to avoid the abuse heaped on children by psychiatry, such as forced medication of kids disgnosed with the fake diseases like ADHD. Linn is apoplectic about kids being influenced by corporations, but mute about children being forcibly medicated by her professional peers.

Linn has no faith in parents, but limitless faith in politicians and bureaucrats, as if people who have never met your child care more than you do.

At bottom, there simple solution to the problems Linn addresses. They include turning off the television and setting rules. Reformers like Linn hate simple solutions, so she pushes more State spending and intrusion. Good parents know that regular TV viewing keeps children from developing intellect, character, and talent; so they keep the TV off most or all of the time. And they don't buy their 12-year-olds t-shirts that say "Hottie." You don't need a psychiatrist or a politician to tell you that, you just need some sense, love, and familiarity with the word "no."

Utterly missing the point, Linn likes the idea of children watching TV, and wants money -- lots more money -- given to public TV by the government. But it doesn't matter what kids watch on TV, what matters is that the very habit of watching TV makes kids stupid.

Rating:
Summary: A necessary read
Review: In the spirit of 'Fast Food Nation', 'Consuming Kids' should be a required text for all high school and/or college students, as well as parents and educators, and anyone else who may be concerned or at least curious about how the media plays a substantial role in the way we form our values.

Rating:
Summary: All parents and teachers, please read!
Review: This wonderful book tackles a huge topic concisely and sharply. Linn exposes the many ways children of all ages are marketed to by advertisers (even in our schools) for the sake of naked greed. She also does a fine job of articulating why all of this is bad for children and for society in general, and she backs it all up with evidence from psychological studies. Her tone is not shrill, but there is an urgency to this book that demands our attention; the rampant commercialism that is swallowing our children must be stopped. There is hope, if we start taking some action. Reading this book is a start.