SUSAN LINN

AND
CONSUMING
KIDS
By: Maggie Diehn
 Background

Degree in education
Author, psychologist, and counseling
and a ventriloquist. psychology from
Harvard.
Her Work
◦ Founding director of campaign for a commercial-free childhood
from 2000-2015.
◦ Non-profit dedicated to protecting children from adversiting.
◦ Published Consuming Kids which aims to take childhood back
from marketing
Why Are ◦ They influence what their parents spend money on.
◦ Children spending is up to $40 billion as of 2008
Children ◦ Want to make children lifelong consumers. All their
products are branded by media characters.
Marketed ◦ Alliance between TV and marketing. Shows are being said
Towards? as good for young children because they generate market
sales.
 Children need to learn how to learn, hands on play,
explore the world with their senses, social skills and
problem-solving skills

Play is a way for them to tell us the truth

Children and
their play A window into their hearts and mind

It is individualized, no two ways of play are the same.

Activity
◦ Name?
◦ What they say?
◦ What they do?
◦ Name?
◦ What they say?
◦ What they do?
◦ Name?
◦ What they say?
◦ What they do?
VIDEO
 Effect on play

1 2 3
Children only want to play with the Parents see “good” apps which Children are not creative anymore
products and as the people they see causes them to believe that their since they are only repeating what
on TV child will be behind if they do not they have seen through media.
interact with that media
• Only 2% of interactive/educational games are
truly interactive
Sources
◦ Barbaro, A., & Earp, J. (Directors). (2008). Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood
[Video file]. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMaRsR7orTk
◦ Linn, S. (2014, May 05). Does your tot really need that tablet all the time? Retrieved September 13,
2020, from http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/04/living/screen-free-week-schools-susan-linn/index.html
◦ Linn, S. (2020). Bio. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from
https://www.consumingkids.com/index.php/about
◦ Linn, S., & Poussaint, A. (1999, January 18). Spare the Babies From 'Teletubbies' and Toy Tie-In
Marketing. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-
18-me-64739-story.html
◦ TED. (2010, January 15). TEDxLeadershipPittsburgh - Dr. Susan Linn [Video file]. Retrieved
September 13, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8huWSQKnllE