In a survey of youth aged 8-18, nearly 1 in 4 said they felt “addicted” to video games.*

In The USA the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CCFC) recently organised Screen-Free week. It was designed to get young people away from the influences of commercialism and back to enjoying life ‘brand’ free.

Here are some tips that anyone can try to get young people out of their label driven lifestyle and into real life.

1. Build commercial-free time into your child’s life.
Nurture creative play.
Get young people into the great outdoors; nature is a great antidote to commercialism and consumerism.
Make a new family tradition of no TV, video games or computers for one night a week; hang out together as a family instead. You can play board games, bake, collaborate on art projects, etc.

2. Limit screen time
Limit screen time and make sure children’s bedrooms are screen free.

3. Screen Consuming Kids
Hold a screening of Consuming Kids at your school or home. Consuming Kids is a new film from The Media Education Foundation featuring CCFC. It takes a powerful look at how corporations relentlessly target children and the impact of that marketing. 

4. Download CCFC’s fact sheets
There are lots of fact sheets with great information.

5. Let your views be known
Ask your daughter’s paediatrician not to use Barbie band-aids. Ask your son’s teacher not to use Spiderman stickers as rewards.
Ask your friends and family to adhere to your values when selecting birthday presents for your children. 
Even new parents can ask people to avoid electronic toys, licensed characters and screen media when giving baby gifts.

6. Choose commercial-free  
If possible, select preschools, camps, and day care centres that do not depend on screens and media-linked toys to entertain children–or work to change the ones you’re involved with.

7. Reclaim your child’s school 
Form a committee to examine school commercialism. Find some ideas here.

8. Speak out!  
Write a letter to your local newspaper and comment on parenting blogs and social networking sites about the commercialization of childhood.

9. Work for local legislation  
Urge your state representative to sponsor legislation that prohibits advertising and marketing in schools.

10. Build a network 
Build a network of parents, educators, health care professionals, advocates, and concerned citizens to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is an American coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents who counter the harmful effects of marketing to children through action, advocacy, education, research, and collaboration among organizations and individuals who care about children.

* Harris Interactive (2007). Video Game Addiction: Is it real? Retrieved October 1, 2010

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.