Summary and response to "Kid Kustomers"

Anastasiia Chorna

English 11000

March 4, 2015

Don’t Let Your Child Be A Target

In 2011 Eric Schlosser, a journalist and a correspondent, author of “Fast Food, Inc.”, published his hit article “Kid Kustomers”. The purpose Schlosser is pursuing by writing it is to bring awareness to the influence and harm  that different forms of advertising have upon our children. To support this argument he goes back to the root of the problem stating that, since increased load of work at 1980’s, parents started spending less time with their children, which in turn led to the development of guilt followed by increase in consumption of children’s goods as a way to alleviate the feeling of guilt for time not spent bonding. By providing this fact the author illuminates the epicenter of what would grow into a country-wide explosion of various types of media employing advertising techniques specifically targeting children.

Moving with history Schlosser introduces a disturbing expansion of  advertising strategies from simple ads for  kids’ to complex products made purposely to target their unconscious mind. He argues that children’s minds are in process of development and are more susceptible to impact from outside. To support this claim the author emphasizes that “brand loyalty” is known to be able to begin its development from at least the age of two. By bringing up this fact Schlosser increases awareness of a whole range of opportunities for any kind of product to be imposed upon consumer without them even realizing it.

Children under certain age have a great almost uncontrollable need of belonging and later on a thrive for a particular status. A large portion of “Kid Kustomers” is devoted to the phenomena of children clubs. Schlusser claims that through these organizations children were encouraged to give up their names, addresses, personal comments and other information. Another example of assembling information about kids provided in this article is the internet. Until August of 2000 companies were able to coax children into sending through email information about their favorite food, games, characters, sports, etc.. As soon as child likes the character or the product company produces, they give them their trust, not thinking about hidden interests of the last ones.

Schlosser asserts us that there have been tries to get attention of higher official to the petition of limiting advertisement directed on children. He reminds us about a ban proposed by the head of FTC, Michael Petrutschuk, which would have protected children from “advertising that preys upon their immaturity”. This ban was not approved by Congress due to heavy influence on them from broadcasters, and the advertising and toy industries. This initiative was declined even by FTC itself at a later date.

When an issue as big as this one is ignored by higher levels of our government, remaining quiet is simply unacceptable. The development of advertisements specifically designed to manipulate children into becoming lifelong customers is appalling. Great amount of articles and documentaries have been struggling to bring awareness of this issue to the general public, but the result remain unsatisfying.

Reading on “Kid Kustomers” it is horrifying seeing how corporation would do anything to grab to easy ways to make money, even if it means playing on immaturity of children’s minds. It is hard to understand from the place we are now - such a developed and prosperous society - why it was ignored for such a long period of time and how. Knowing that children are our future and our hope, people who works in those advertising teams can so ruthlessly target the most innocent creatures, and how people who are on top of our society, who are supposed to overlook and defend, can ignore such a problem as this one.

Schlosser presents few ways companies can influence our children: through their immaturity, desire to belong and blind trust into their favorite characters or product. Knowing this puts on us responsibility to do something about it, to voice your protest, because all of those ways of influence can be controlled and limited by our government. Schlosser mentioned that this issue had been brought in front of Congress before, but didn’t receive enough support. If companies are going to stand behind their interests, we as parents or future parents must stand up to them together.

In “Kid Kustomers” Eric Schlosser does a great job of forming his argument, bringing up a great amount of facts. He doesn’t just want to tells us the problem, he wants us to draw our own conclusions. Human nature is bound to be tempted by easy ways of making money, looking and searching how to make more, forgetting or just ignoring basic human dogmas, like protecting and glorifying children instead of using them. Knowing that, it is a job of our government to prevent or at least limit the reaches of people like that, but as Eric colorfully shows it fails in it. Our children are involuntarily victims of advertisement and media and it is up to us - conscious citizens and loving parents - to make our voice heard and acted upon.