Commercialism and Our Children

Introduction:
North Americans are saturated with advertisements on radio, television, in the newspaper, on billboards, on the Internet and with Logos on clothes and shoes. Everyday the average citizen in North America views a full hour of commercials (Molnar, 1996, p.3). There are very few places one can go to escape from the constant barrage of advertising. Although the concept of advertising or selling goes back thousands of years the methods and mediums in which corporations are using to get their message out are new.
Children have not been an exception to this barrage of advertising. Moreover, children have become the focus of much of the corporate advertisements and marketing because of their access to disposable income and their influence over adult spending habits.
Recent figures pin adolescent spending at 72 billion per annum for all kids through high school (Labi, 2000,p.1). Advertisers and marketers, in search of new ways to reach the youth market, are now involved in partnerships with schools and school districts to sell, advertise, and conduct market research with students.
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