The persuaders

Children are being trained and exploited as consumers almost from birth, says Eric Clark, with market forces determining much of what they view and play with. Toy companies are making marketing assaults on children younger and younger. Not long ago the earliest age at which children could be targeted was reckoned by advertising and marketing men to be five. As competition between companies became more cut-throat, it dropped to three. Now children as young as a few months old are considered fair game. Mike Searles, as president of the American company...