Tween Marketing

This article takes issue with the overt, pushy marketing towards children who are considered tweens, ages 8 to 12. The author states, "The marketing industry is forcing tweens to grow up quickly." I agree that tweens are the target of aggressive ad campaigns designed to convince them that something is cool and necessary, but isn't all marketing designed with the same goal in mind? It is hard to defend the enormous marketing machines, but no one is forced to open their wallets and hand over their money. Are parents the responsible party here? How do these 8 to 12 year olds get money? How do they get to the mall? If parents are not responsible they are at the very least complicit in the marketing machine by encouraging it's availability to their tweens.
Is there a bigger social issue here? Has the marketing industry forced it's toe into a crack of the family doorway? Families in the twenty first century are much different. Many tweens live in single family homes, a home with a step parent or with grandparents or other family members as a guardian. Divorce has left its mark on all of us and children are the least equipped to navigate this rocky road. Parents are working more hours and more jobs to make ends meet. It stands to reason that with these significant changes in our social fabric that cultural changes will follow as well. Tweens do grow up faster, many do not have the luxury of a lingering childhood.
Before we point our fingers at the obvious target, we need to take a look at other issues facing our tweens and support and care for them accordingly.
(2010). Special Issues for Tweens and Teens: The "Tween" Market. Retrieved from: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/issues_teens_marketing.cfm