In the critically acclaimed Consuming Kids (The New Press, 2004), Susan Linn, the nation's leading advocate for protecting children from corporate marketers, provided an unsparing look at modern childhood molded by commercialism. In her new book, THE CASE FOR MAKE BELIEVE, Dr. Linn argues that while play is crucial to human development and children are born with an innate capacity for make believe, the convergence of ubiquitous technology and unfettered commercialism actually prevents them from playing. In modern day America, nurturing creative play is not only countercultural—it threatens corporate profits.
At the heart of the book are gripping stories of children at home, at school, and in a therapist’s office using make believe to grapple with real-life issues from entering kindergarten to the death of a sibling. In an age when toys come from TV shows, dress-up means wearing Disney costumes, and parents believe Baby Einstein is educational, Dr. Linn lays out the inextricable links between play, creativity, and health, showing us why we need to protect our children from corporations that aim to limit their imaginations.
