Consumerism comes under the microscope

- So are we going to go all Scandinavian and ban advertising to young people?

I suspect that's unlikely, and this government-supported independent research will actually look far wider than the impact of advertising. It could be viewed as some serious soul-searching about how kids grow up in our society.

- So it's about consumerism?

More or less. The expert panel will be looking for evidence of the impact made by all aspects of children and young people's engagement with the commercial world - so certainly advertising and shopping, but also media and entertainment, marketing, websites and so on.

- Why now?

According to Children's Secretary Ed Balls, it's an issue parents have raised repeatedly at the government's Time to Talk consultation events. There's an unease that values are being skewed and that technology is developing ever-more subtle and sophisticated ways of turning the next generation of potential idealists into passive consumers who define themselves through the possession of objects and brand association. Parents themselves feel guilt at this - while they feel they ought to spend more quality time as a family, they are working longer hours to make sure their kids don't miss out on having iPhones.