Convergence+Children,+Consumerism,+Citizenship,+and+The+Media+(Pg.+30-35)+Kelly+Reed

Convergence: Children, Consumerism, Citizenship, and The Media Precis (Pg. 30-35) Kelly Reed

Chapter one of Sarah Banet-Weiser’s book //Kids Rule! Nickelodeon and Consumer Citizenship// subsection “Convergence: Children, Consumerism, Citizenship, and The Media” on pages 30-35 speaks about Nickelodeon’s attempts at empowering children, by giving them a network of their own. Shows and networks like Nickelodeon upon the invention of cable, made promises to their audiences, and Nickelodeon’s promise was to be for kids only. The channels promos, public service announcements, and programming narratives are all related to kids empowerment and the challenging of adult authority. Weiser uses the example a show //Jimmy Neutron// a boy genius, whose father’s only interest in life is ducks. Be specific about how the example supports the theme of kid empowerment.

Drawing such a large age specific ‘kid’ audience also allows the network to present their advertisers the perfect scenario for targeted ad placement. This then creates a children consumer group, which due to its massive consumption and the direct relation of money equating to power also gives these children a great political power. Having political and consumption power then makes the children inadvertently citizens. There is also value placed on adults not understanding children, **which furthers the boundaries between the two groups** and assists in making children their own type of citizen. Kids have their own money, and a great influence over the buying power of adults, so using kids media, like popular music and fashion that adults do not understand, a ‘kid culture” is established, and continues to grow and become even more lucrative over time. We then have a full circle as children are appearing more frequently in the mass media, providing more advertising, leading to more consumption and so on as the cycle continues.

Terrific summary here! Grade: A-