Children as Consumers

In the course of the 20th century, children’s culture has been inextricably entwined with consumer culture, as children have moved from being seen as extensions of the mother’s purchasing habits, to being viewed as vulnerable to marketing discourse, to being recognized as fully empowered market participants. This has only intensified and deepened in the early years of the 21st century. This entry examines the history of children’s consumer practices, the expansion of children’s consumerism since the 1980s, children’s markets, and some specific issues shaping children’s consumerism in a digital culture.