Reading, ’Riting, and Reacting to Marketing

The federal government—with, disturbingly enough, the help of Madison Avenue marketing firms—has set up a program teaching fourth through sixth graders how to read and respond to advertisements. One wonders, however, whether today’s children—who have been targeted by advertisers practically from birth—really need the government to tell them how to react to marketing. Case in point, a game developed by the bureau to teach kids:

The bureau is especially pleased with the online game, Mr. Vladeck said, adding that he has played it himself. “I was not able to get past Level Two,” he said, laughing. “My 12-year-old nephew, in 45 minutes, was already on Level Four.”