As does his belief that the average British child is familiar with up to400 brand names by the time they reach the age of 10.
There are genuine concerns that massive exposure to advertisers'messages makes children discontent, as well as overweight. Ad industryexperts are happy to defend their practices. Freedland quotes one, GregRowland. "The real question," says Rowland, "is why are parents notstrong enough to say no? It's because they feel guilty. Giving in andbuying stuff is the easy way of parenting for 'time-poor' parents."
Follow this. Advertisers spend millions testing, sampling, refining andtargeting in order to make their products irresistible. Parents who playtheir part, and respond as the marketeers intend them to get abused for"easy parenting". That's harsh, and hugely ungrateful.
- A mother spent two hours waiting with her sick baby on a hospitalchildren's ward. She was not happy when the doctor eventually arrived.She had seen him before, riding up and down on a unicycle.
The end result of complaints was an apology from South Tyneside HealthCare Trust: "As a children's ward, we strive to combine professionalismwith an air of informality and fun aimed at putting children at ease. Iaccept on this occasion that we did not succeed in achieving thiscompromise."
Contributors to the Daily Mail web site were split over the issue. "Tobe treated by a doctor who has been seen being jokey and fun is a lovelytreat for a frightened child," said one. Another was appalled at thehealth service funding implications: "Just another sign of NHS cutbacks.One wheel on a bike."
SOUNDBITE
"The white paper has been spun as if it can enable schools to stick twofingers up to the rest of the world. But I think few schools will wantto"
Martin Rogers, co-ordinator of the Education Network, discusses theeducation white paper.
