Are We Selling Out Our Children?

Tamara Kraus
Children’s Programming

In the book “Selling Out America’s Children: How America Puts Profits Before Values and What Parents Can Do”, Dr. David Walsh describes the problems families face when raising children in a materialistic world. Walsh believes there is a dichotomy between morals parents try to teach their children and societal values that engulf them. Individuals are considerate of others’ needs, realize consequences of their negative behavior and sacrifice themselves to help others. Society ignores individual needs and values and puts its emphasis on financial profit. The result, Walsh concludes, is a more violent, immoral society.

Historically, the families have been the primary teacher of values and provided protection for their children. However, that is challenging for most modern families. Many children are abused or neglected. Busy schedules, financial stress, and absence of a parent put more stress on families. Children are often left alone to fend for themselves and learn what they can from the world surrounding them.

Advertisers realize the huge buying potential children have. To harness that financial wagon, advertisers spent over $8 billion in 1992 (42). Those dollars worked, because in 1994, children under age eighteen spent $50.4 billion (40), mostly on entertainment.

Walsh harshly criticizes the entertainment industry. Television, movies, music, and video games have become the primary source of children’s entertainment. The average child witnesses about 200,000 violent acts on television before he turns eighteen (p. 52). Walsh asserts that TV teaches children that problems are solved through violence; it takes money to be happy, but you don’t have to earn it; and it is funny to be disrespectful and rude. Obviously, these are not considered family values in most households.

Walsh further claims that parents and teachers are pressuring children to be first in everything. To fail is to be a loser forever. Children must be smarter, faster, prettier, etc. than anyone else. Many children become depressed and develop low self-esteem as they see themselves as failures in their families’ and friends’ eyes.

If you want to learn more about the effects of the media on children’s lives, try the following books:

• “Abandoned in the Wasteland: Children, Television, and the First Amendment” by Newton Minow; and
• “Out of the Garden: Toys, TV, and Children’s Culture in the Age of Marketing” by Stephen Kline.

Hickory Public Library is a department of the City of Hickory. Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ridgeview Branch Library is closed on Sunday.