Reddit reviews Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole

There's a bigger issue underlying it which few people grasp, and most are probably guilty of. Half of the nerchandise is targeted at adults (like the SW makeup line for example). There doesn't seem to be a name for it, you could call it youth culture, perpetual adolescence, arrested development. People in their 20s, 30s obsessed with their childhood and refusing to grow the fuck up. It's creepy. Star wars, cartoons like family guy, video games, comics, useless gadgets, 80s retro bullshit, crossfit, grown ass adults making blanket forts on tumblr, social media in general, nerd culture. Reddit is overflowing with it. There's a few books written about it. The advertising industry pushes it because childish minds are the perfect target. They dont want mature rational consumers. Youth has been an idealized by the media for a while, probably the 60s, but it seems like in the last decade they have pushed the idealized age from 21 back to 12.

I'm kicking it off with Cheap (which some of us discussed on MFA last summer), but for future months I'm lining up Global Denim, Consumed, The Overspent American, and Where Am I Wearing. Other suggestions are absolutely welcome!

http://www.amazon.com/Global-Denim-Daniel-Miller/dp/1847886310

http://www.amazon.com/Consumed-Markets-Children-Infantilize-Citizens/dp/0393330893

http://www.amazon.com/The-Overspent-American-Want-What/dp/0060977582

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Wearing-Countries-Factories-Clothes/dp/1118277554

I've been reading Brad's site since way back when it was called Commerce with a Conscience, and I'm really thrilled to start contributing. If you haven't read it before, definitely out this post on why clothes cost what they do - it's one of my favorites.

Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults and Swallow Citizens Whole by Ben Barber is worth a look. Many libraries have copies if you are interested.