Book Review: Buy, Buy Baby

Buy, Buy Baby by Susan Gregory Thomas is a book written by a mom with young kids to inform other parents about how today's consumer culture has evolved, how the machine of marketing works to manipulate consumers and why we should care about it. The author uses common-sense language to discuss recent and relevant research about the effects of media, screen-time, advertising and general consumer culture on our children. I was shocked to realize how these corporations are using and often funding the latest research in child development in order to sell things directly to babies and toddlers.

Thomas also delves into how babies learn, what they really see when they watch the TV and what it takes for a program or toy to be truly educational. It all boils down the fact that background television and active TV watching erode the ability of a child to focus on active play--and play is the work of children. Creative, open-ended play with blocks or the like is how kids build the foundations for further learning and problem-solving as they grow into adulthood.

In summary, this was an engrossing, thorougly readable and eye-opening book. Before I read Buy, Buy Baby, I thought that babies and toddlers watching TV was no big deal because I was raised with TV too--but I've changed my mind.