Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture and Our Children is an engaging and thought-provoking look at the effects of popular culture on children, parenting and family life. It is down to earth, confronting and accessible without sacrificing intelligent argument, analysis and discussion. Underneath the conversational tone and common-sense advice is serious and comprehensive research.
This timely book explores the complex relationship kids - from tots and tweens to teens - have with popular culture. Without blaming children or parents, Consuming Innocence considers the role of celebrities, fads, technology, fashion, school, the media and, most importantly, parents, and the part they all play in creating children's ideas of themselves.
Chapters focus on specific elements of global popular culture, from the corporations that target kids and promote sexuality, to toys, TV shows like The Simpsons, film, celebrities, internet sites, children's fashion and parenting practices. It looks realistically at what has been described as the crisis of stolen childhoods, but with empathy, understanding and humour