We all have heard the saying, "the children are our future." This idea is definitely embraced by corporations and advertisers, with one additional word - "the children are our future consumers." If anthropologists 100 years from now were to look at how children were viewed in the US in the late 20th century and early 21st century, what would they discover about their playtime habits? Susan Linn, in her newest book The Case for Make Believe, would provide some pretty good indications of what those anthropologists might find.
The Case for Make Believe is an excellent sequel to Linn's first book Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood. In Consuming Kids, Linn explores how media companies and advertisers have taken aim at children in order to develop what they call "brand loyalty." With The Case for Make Believe, Linn discusses how the hyper-commercialized world of children has deprived them of one of the most important aspects of childhood development, play. Linn says, "Most child development experts agree that play is the foundation of intellectual exploration. It's how children learn how to learn." When children are given a healthy environment and are not distracted by screen media or other contemporary toys they will quickly resort to using their own imagination. This is a fundamental problem, according to Linn, of the hyper-commercialized world of kids where most toys and media they consume do most of the work for them.
Linn goes on to say, "The ability to play is central to our capacity to take risks, to experiment, to think critically, to act rather than react, to differentiate ourselves from our environment, and to make life meaningful." However, when kids are put in front of screens, given dolls that talk or toys that move on their own they are less likely to use their own imaginations. The less they use their own imaginations the less likely they will engage in self-discovery. This is particularly difficult when media companies are pushing so-called learning tools on children even infants.
As an example, look at the push of videos like Baby Einstein and other screen media tools that have been marketed in recent years to parents. The long-term consequences of this type of commercialized play could be devastating. Linn cites a pediatrician who says, "Screen media directed at young infants exploits the orienting reflex. By constantly changing themes, having the flashing lights and sound, they keep the child focused on the screen. They have to do that, in effect, because infants don't understand the content." Besides Baby Einstein, there are a whole new line of screen-focused baby videos like Baby Wordsworth, Baby Galileo, and Baby Da Vinci. Fortunately, these so-called educational tools are coming under more scrutiny. Disney, the owner of Baby Einstein no longer markets this product as an educational tool because of pressure from the group Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.
Linn has discovered the importance of play in her work over the years, particularly the work she has done in hospitals with children who have terminal illnesses. The author uses puppets as a means to get kids to talk about themselves and to explore the world through their imaginations. Linn discusses her experiences with children in a variety of settings and how each of them has taught her a great deal about the importance of play. Half of the book is devoted to stories about several children she has had a relationship with and how play has helped each of them deal with different issues.
This book not only critiques what is wrong with the hyper-commercialized world of children, it provides readers with examples of how people are challenging this assault on kids. Linn acknowledges that it is not enough to just critique the problem of screen time for kids, but to challenge the reality that there isn't adequate space for kids to play and to explore in their own communities. Linn also points out that much of the "play space" that has taken away traditional park and green space are now replaced by McDonalds Playland or cookie cutter jungle gyms. "We need to stop mistaking commerce for community. Corporations are all too happy to leap into the breach when we lose the political will to build a society based on responsibilities and benefits of publicly supported institutions."
Fortunately, there are movements like No Child Left Inside which seek to not only provide opportunities for more children to explore play through the environment, but also challenge policies that make it difficult for children to have those experiences. Linn provides a list of groups like No Child Left Inside and other resources at the end of the book and encourages readers to take up the cause of fighting for the right of children to healthy and safe play. The Case for Make Believe is a clarion call to parents, educators, and anyone who cares about the future of our children.
Susan Linn, The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World, (New Press, 2008).
