Personal Journal Entry #8

                                                                                                                                February 23, 2011

    

     After taking my dog for a walk I recalled a chapter I read in the colloquium textbook, State of the World. Thinking about it, the reading has given me a better understanding of commercialism and the importance of creative play.

     Today, however, commercialism primarily refers to the tendency within corporatism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating profit. There is also a tendency for intangible things such as happiness, beauty, or health to be given a monetary value or to be spoken of as commodities. The main point of the reading is that children's need for creative play is diminished by the commercialism in today's society. Solution: children need to play and be outside to stray away from constantly playing video games, watching television, and overeating.

     Children's favorite leisure activity these days, in both industrial and developing countries, is watching television. In the United States, children spend more time in front of the television screens than in any other activity besides sleeping--about 40 hours a week outside of school. 19 % of U.S. babies under the age of one have a television in their bedroom. The mere introduction of electronic screen media into a culture can profoundly influence societal norms such as standards of beauty, diet, and interpersonal interactions.

    A survey of 400 major employers across the United States found that many of their new young employees, whose childhoods have been shaped by intensifying commercialization, lacked critical thinking and basic problem solving skills, as well as creativity and innovation, all of which are nurtured in creative play. Efforts to limit children's exposure to commercialism and promote creative play are aided by a growing recognition of the need for children to CONNECT WITH NATURE. Advertising and marketing alone have been associated with eating disorders, sexualization, youth violence, family stress, and underage alcohol and tobacco use.

    I found an interesting website that talks about creative play, I would recommend visiting this website:

http://www.creativeplayplus.com/category/creative-play/