Little Economists in Global Virtual Mar...

The current chapter aims to provide a critical account of debates about the role of a global consumer culture, with specific reference to the position of children. The chapter focuses on a discussion of the ways in which consumer culture itself is currently changing and becoming more digital as well as technologically mediated. It argues that, while the economic globalization of markets and consumption patterns may lead to a worldwide homogenization of children’s preferences and experiences, it has also led to the emergence of a “digital kids” subculture that constructs children as “empowered” consumer experts of new media technology and active producers of information. By taking up and reviewing this issue in relevant literature concerning globalization and children’s consumer culture, the chapter addresses the following questions: (1) What is globalization and how far does it relate to children’s consumer culture? (2) How far do children economically engage in global virtual worlds and relate to these global digital markets?