Proposal help

ttuPrincess · 02-29-2004, 06:21 PM

I have to write a 5 page proposal for a women's history class. The topic is the ways that consumption has shaped American Childhood. Anyone have any ideas for me?? Please help...

**redrock** · 02-29-2004, 06:35 PM

do search on McDonalds and advertising. Lots of lawsuits aboou that very subject. RR

**hoss827** · 02-29-2004, 06:36 PM

I thought you were getting married tonight or something...

ttuPrincess · 02-29-2004, 06:39 PM

SGFuryZ.. thank you .. exactly what Im what Im looking for..

i guess I wasn't clear consumption as in buying and spending money... not eating MassTurbanAtor..

ttuPrincess · 02-29-2004, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by SGFuryZ

BTW, what I was getting at with those examples is, children used to have to adapt to the products available in their time, but now companies are adapting to children's wants/needs in order to generate higher profits from consumers. Children have it a lot easier in the consumer world now than they did then...

You just came up with the perfect thesis.. thank you sooooooo much!!!!!

**spywizard** · 02-29-2004, 09:19 PM

Take it another step.... it's not advertiser adapting to the childrens needs/wants... but the advertiser are creating the demand for product that the kids didn't even know they wanted..

1st noticable case was cabbage patch kids... they produced it just in time for christmas, then controlled the inventory, causing panic...

just an example of a advertising company taking a product from 0 sales to one of the most sought after products...

each year now the market tries to recreate that effect.. can you name this past years must have product??

Originally Posted by SGFuryZ

BTW, what I was getting at with those examples is, children used to have to adapt to the products available in their time, but now companies are adapting to children's wants/needs in order to generate higher profits from consumers. Children have it a lot easier in the consumer world now than they did then...

**Sierra_Breeze** · 03-01-2004, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by ttuPrincess

I have to write a 5 page proposal for a women's history class. The topic is the ways that consumption has shaped American Childhood. Anyone have any ideas for me?? Please help...

back when..... Kid had dull pocket knife found "Y" shaped stick added rubber band and strip of leather, = slingshot! Kids made their own toys, kid shot crab apple through neighbors window. Kid had a 45 minute lecture on the value of a dollar, and lesson in future lawn care specialist. When said kid was made to cut said neighbors lawn, prune shrubs, follow neighbors dog around with plastic bag. Untill the kid worked off his/her debt for neighbors new window. (kid was exaughsted slept well because he/she worked hard to right a wrong.)

Now..... Kid makes bad grades, kid acts up in school, kid is in constant trouble= Kid gets new paint gun and angry neighbor has multi colored, spotted car,house,dog. Kid gets ask by mom/dad son/daughter do you feel neglected because mommy and daddy have to work? Son/daughter replies yes it's all your fault. Parents feel terrible, kid gets a new play station Game! Suffers very minimal consequences, parent eases guilty conscience. Angry neighbor gets Angrier!(kid stays up all night playing new game, keeps parents awake who have to go to work next morning, because kid has done nothing to make them tired!And consumed large amounts of sugar and soda)

I am the kid in the first example, and the angry neighbor in the second example, Toy manufacturers have had to have been both at one point in their life and knew a kid like said child in second example.

Answer= kids today are spoiled, lazy, and get out of trouble with very minimal punishments, by using the "My mom and dad both work defense." They have every toy you can possibly imagine and some that frighten parents. And don't appreciate them at all because they were just handed to them for no reason. And they've never had to follow the neighbors multi-colored ,polka-dotted dog around the yard to make a wrong rite! Kid saves allowance he/she gets for taking out trash every other Sunday, after tired overworked parents remind child to do so. kid uses allowance to buy stock in Play school, Mattel, exc...Then becomes President of Toy company because he/she wants to make the graphics on the play station games better than the OLD boring ones they played as a child!
(Angry neighbors rant on message boards about their multi-colored polka-dotted dog, and gets hate mail from strangers because he/she stepped on some ones toes for insinuating children are spoiled,overweight and lazy.)

Kids used to work(in some way,shape or form) to get a store bought toy. kids had to use their brain to figure out creative ways to work to afford new toys.
Kids today use emotional black mail on parents/grandparents to get ever new toy they see on TV. kids today fry their brains by watching too much TV and playing with all their new toys.
PS. Ihate that stupid dancing purple dinosaur named Barney!

I too, hope I wasn't too far out in left field with my reply.