Consumption through our children.

There has always been passionate debate about marketing to children, with parents and consumer groups claiming that children are not equipped to deal with marketing, and advertisers claiming that children are cleverer than we think. Even so, advertising to children continues, especially for sugary or fatty foods, electronic toys, Hollywood movies, and related merchandising. The reason why is because of a curious ambiguity: cultural reactions to advertising have both restricted and expanded consumption.

One reason why our reactions to marketing to children are ambiguous is because, on one hand, many people believe that children are innocent, and should be treated as …