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Summary: An assessment of the impact of commercialism on children and young people.
The impact of commercialisation on childhood is frequently reported in the media and debated by politicians and parents, often based on a fear that they are being pressured into growing up too soon, in all sorts of ways. However despite the number of investigations into this area, children and young people’s voices have by and large been absent from the debate. Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) states that children have the right to express their views on issues affecting them, and have their views taken seriously. We saw the announcement of the Government’s independent review on the commercialisation of childhood headed by Reg Bailey, as a good opportunity for children and young people to have their voices heard at the highest levels in this discussion. We worked with Amplify, our children and young people’s advisory group, to find out what they think about this important issue which affects them most but which they are least likely to be asked about. We also gathered the views of other children and young people across England through a survey designed by Amplify. The survey provided vital insights into what they think. This report contains our survey results and key findings. The findings paint a complex picture. Children and young people realise they are under pressure to own material goods. When asked about their awareness of commercialisation, they recognised its influence. As well as obvious advertising techniques, young people are aware of non-traditional forms such as Twitter feeds. Yet elsewhere, the survey shows some possessions make young people feel valued, giving a sense of belonging to groups they want to join. Owning items such as designer clothes and gadgets made responding children and young people feel confident. The confidence they gain influences their sense of self-worth. The young people who took part in this research told us they worry about being seen as unable to afford things. The lack of possessions, they felt, can lead to bullying. This feedback chimes with work we have done on the impact of childhood poverty. Throughout this report, children and young people also demonstrate how perceptive they are about the commercial world around them. Just as adults see the pressure placed on children, there was recognition from the children who fed their views back to us that adults are pressured to buy certain goods too, and some sympathy from youngsters about those pressures on their parents’ generation. Children felt adults worried about their children losing out if they did not own products. They recognised the risk of families feeling unequal. “Because the kids want the latest things that cost a lot then the adults might not be able to afford it and they won’t want their kids to get mocked for not having the latest things.” – Girl, 13 Children and young people are not against advertising or marketing per se and acknowledge their economic benefits, even saying they were vital. But they realise the negative impact they can have, especially through creating more pressure to fit in. They had less to say about some issues the Bailey review investigated, like the risk of early sexualisation through child-centred marketing of some goods. They were more concerned with the wider picture of the world in which they are growing up. Anyone interested in understanding what children and young people think about the commercialisation of childhood should read this report. Further Information: