Impacts of Media-Based Commodities on Children

Impacts of Media-Based Commodities on Children
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Over the years, the entertainment industry has been phenomenal in not only thrilling audiences but also in passing essential and vital messages in society. Individuals have continuously found ways of entertaining themselves individually or as a group. While some of the forms of entertainment are primarily for the adult population, there are other categories that transcend people of all age groups and are often passed from one generation to the next. One notable category includes movies, toys and experiences that are based on narratives and which are particularly inclined to adhere effectively and entice children and the young at heart in society. Narrative films are otherwise known as fictional films and are basically movies that center on imaginary events and people. The makers tend to develop and invent narratives using believable characters and events that influence people to consider the unfolding fiction as real. As such, these fictional materials often target children whose senses of judgment are not fully developed. Majority of the fictional films were initially books and have been read to children as bed time stories for many generations. Some notable examples include the Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Harry Porter, Lion King, Winnie the Pooh, and Peter Pan among others. These media-based commodities play crucial roles in the growth and development of children in society. They help to pass essential messages and themes such as the benefits of respecting their parents. They also assist in sharpening their reading and spelling abilities. Several organizations including the Disney Corporation have taken the mantle and are developing and marketing these media-based commodities to children in various ways. The research paper purports to examine how movies, toys and experiences based on narratives are marketed to children, the effects of these media-based commodities on the young generations and the role played by the Disney Corporation and similar organizations in the narrativizing of consumption.
Movies, Toys and Experiences based on Narratives targeting Children
Many people around the world have made it their culture to read bed time stories to their children. Majority of these stories are fictional but very entertaining and leave the children yearning for more. There are even instances where some children refuse to sleep before their favorite bed time stories are read to them. For many centuries, the culture of reading bed time stories has been passed down across generations. Statistics indicate that at least 3 in every 5 Americans can attest to having being read a bed time story when growing up (Heath, 1982). Although the number of parents particularly in America who read bed time stories to their children has waned over time because of lack of time and stress, there are still quite a number of people who have kept up with the tradition.
There are some narratives that have withstood the test of time and not only make sense and endear to the current generation but also make exciting reading materials for the elderly who are still young at heart. Some of these include Cinderella, Lion King, Wizard of Oz, Harry Porter, Spiderman, Superma...