Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood2008

Juliet Schor:
Companies have moved away from exaggerating the product characteristics to a whole new form of advertising, which is symbolic advertising. The product is pushed not on the basis of what it can do, or how it tastes, but of its social meaning. So kids are taught to want candy, or sugared cereals, or soda because it's cool. It will define them as an individual. What you buy is who you are.