Helene Powers writes:

As a regular citizen, I’m angry as hell about the economic worldwide meltdown that, by all indications, stems from unimpeded greed and a lack of appropriate regulations.

But as an early childhood specialist, step-mother, aunt, neighbor and friend to many children, I’m horrified and absolutely incensed at what unfettered capitalism is doing to children and their childhood in the United States.

And you should be, too. Friday night, I attended a special showing of Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood. The video, produced by Northampton, Mass.,-based Media Education Foundation, shines a spotlight on what has transpired in the youth marketing industry since children’s television was deregulated in the 1980's.

The facts, folks, are chilling.

With the explosion of electronic media in the last ten years, here’s what’s happening:

° Corporations spend $15 billion annually marketing to children.

° Their reach is all-encompassing now, as they embed commercials, beloved media characters and sophisticated marketing into school films, videogames, the Internet, the radio, cell phones, children’s toys, clothing, food and accessories.

° Even babies and toddlers are targetted.

° Psychologists exploit their knowledge of children’s developmental levels to entice even infants to want material goods.

What is unconscionable is that marketers are promoting unhealthy messages to directly counter well-researched child development theory. This hyper-consumerism is crowding out the type of play and social connections necessary for the healthy growth of young hearts, minds and souls.

And it's exacerbating numerous problems like precocious sexuality, childhood obesity, nagging, violence, materialism, and eating disorders.

This amounts to child abuse. No other country allows this type of marketing to children. In addition to the video, you can find more information and action steps suggested by two experts, Susan Linn and Enola Aird, who were interviewed in Consuming Kids:

Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

The Motherhood Project

Here's Mo Turner's piece on the phenomenon in this week's Valley Advocate.

Hélène J. Powers is an educational consultant and freelance writer. E-mail: hjpowers@verizon.net