Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood on AllMovie

Turn on the television during any given block of children's programming, and without fail you'll be inundated with infectious ads for the hottest toys and tastiest cereals on the market - but how does this deluge of flashy advertising affect the mind of a child not yet old enough to comprehend the true nature of advertising? In this documentary, health care professionals, children's advocates, and industry insiders all reflect on the multi-billion dollar marketing machine that's determined to transform impressionable viewers into seasoned consumers before they're even old enough to own a credit card. Marketers know that with a little work, they can almost surely transform America's children into one of the most powerful and profitable demographics in the world. Now, as deregulation gives these marketers the freedom they need to reel in youngsters at their most vulnerable, filmmakers Jeremy Earp and Adriana Barbaro take the opportunity to let parent's know that it's still possible to defend their children against such blatant opportunism.