--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No matter how much control kids get over…" description: "\"No matter how much control kids get over the media they watch, they are still utterly powerless when it comes to the manufacturing of brands. Even a co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3eb/douglas-rushkoff-2188_autonomous_no-matter-how-much-control-kids-get-over_830791.jpg" --- # No matter how much control kids get over the media they… ![“No matter how much control kids get over the media they watch, they are still utterly powerless when it comes to the manufacturing of brands. Even a consumer revolt merely reinforces one's role as a consumer, not an autonomous or creative being.” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3eb/douglas-rushkoff-2188_autonomous_no-matter-how-much-control-kids-get-over_830791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3eb/douglas-rushkoff-2188_autonomous_no-matter-how-much-control-kids-get-over_830791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3eb/douglas-rushkoff-2188_autonomous_no-matter-how-much-control-kids-get-over_830791.jpg) > “No matter how much control kids get over the media they watch, they are still utterly powerless when it comes to the manufacturing of brands. Even a consumer revolt merely reinforces one's role as a consumer, not an autonomous or creative being.” [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Kids may choose media, but they lack power to shape brand narratives; consumer choices reinforce passive roles. **In simple terms:** Kids watch brands but can’t create them. Key Takeaway Teach media literacy and creative agency. Themes media consumerism power dynamics Mood critical educational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - schools - family media habits - advertising workshops Key Concepts critical theory brand construction Questions to Reflect On - How can we give kids creative control? - What role should brands play in education? A Different Perspective Changing media consumption is hard without structural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autonomous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autonomous/) [Consumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumer/) [Consumers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumers/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Powerless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerless/) [Revolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolt/) ## Related quotes > [Napster is a consumer revolt. Napster is about my right to have this music and to share if I've paid for it. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/napster-is-a-consumer-revolt-napster-is-about-my-right-to-have-this/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“Your everyday supermarket now carries roughly 40,000 items - twice as many as a decade ago. There are so many products, so many brands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-davidson/your-everyday-supermarket-now-carries-roughly-40-000-items-twice-as/) [Jeff Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-davidson/) > [Contrary to popular stereotypes, seeking simplicity doesn't require that you become a monk, a subsistence forager, or a wild-eyed revolutionary. Nor does it mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-potts/contrary-to-popular-stereotypes-seeking-simplicity-doesn-t-require/) [Rolf Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-potts/) > [The historic role of the consumer has been nothing more than a giant maw at the end of the mass media's long conveyer belt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/the-historic-role-of-the-consumer-has-been-nothing-more-than-a-giant/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Some children naturally have more cognitive control than others, and in all kids this essential skill is being compromised by the usual suspects: smartphones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/some-children-naturally-have-more-cognitive-control-than-others-and/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“They're just friends." This time it came out a little sharper. If I squeezed the mayo any harder, it was likely to explode. "She's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jus-accardo/they-re-just-friends-this-time-it-came-out-a-little-sharper-if-i/) [Jus Accardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jus-accardo/) > [“In short, we live with an overriding sense that we have ultimate control over who our kids become when they are adults. We therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-meeker/in-short-we-live-with-an-overriding-sense-that-we-have-ultimate/) [Meg Meeker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-meeker/) > [Educators are still spending way too much time trying to control what kids learn, bending the content to their own purposes, hoping beyond hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-greenberg/educators-are-still-spending-way-too-much-time-trying-to-control-what/) [Daniel Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-greenberg/) > [Well, my mom taught public school music for almost 40 years. And she's about 5 feet - and very mighty. And she would control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/well-my-mom-taught-public-school-music-for-almost-40-years-and-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Personally, I'd be really glad to have a national conversation about whether to outlaw most forms of birth control. For once, the kids and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/personally-i-d-be-really-glad-to-have-a-national-conversation-about/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Everyone always says that having kids is messy and sloppy. It's true, but you as a parent have to try to bring some boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/everyone-always-says-that-having-kids-is-messy-and-sloppy-it-s-true/) [Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/) > [I'm all about the child-rearing propaganda. Do the kids thing, do the family thing. If anything, it just makes you a better artist. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/i-m-all-about-the-child-rearing-propaganda-do-the-kids-thing-do-the/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [Autonomous vehicles, because they'll be able to operate at a lower cost, will be able to pull more consumers into the Lyft network. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zimmer/autonomous-vehicles-because-they-ll-be-able-to-operate-at-a-lower/) [John Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zimmer/) > [While much of modern behavioral and social science treats individuals as autonomous agents, it is absolutely clear that the way we think and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-r-nelson/while-much-of-modern-behavioral-and-social-science-treats-individuals/) Richard R. Nelson ## More by Douglas Rushkoff > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digital media are biased toward replication and storage. Our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on Facebook, and our most deleted e-mails tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digital-media-are-biased-toward-replication-and-storage-our-digital/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“And spend they did. Money circulated faster and spread wider through its communities of use than at any other time in economic history.8 Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/and-spend-they-did-money-circulated-faster-and-spread-wider-through/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/occupy-wall-street-is-meant-more-as-a-way-of-life-that-spreads/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Time has always been used against us on a certain level. The invention of the clock made us accountable to the employer, gave us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/time-has-always-been-used-against-us-on-a-certain-level-the-invention/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [What makes a great standalone piece of hardware is not the same thing as what makes a great networking device. One can work as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/what-makes-a-great-standalone-piece-of-hardware-is-not-the-same-thing/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia - how technology lets us be in more than one place - and self - at the same time. Drone pilots suffer more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-how-technology-lets-us-be-in-more-than-one-place-and-self/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [A currency designed for long-term storage and investment doesn't do so well at encouraging transactions and exchange in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/a-currency-designed-for-long-term-storage-and-investment-doesn-t-do/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Since the 1960s, mainstream media has searched out and co-opted the most authentic things it could find in youth culture, whether that was psychedelic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/since-the-1960s-mainstream-media-has-searched-out-and-co-opted-the/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Children are being adultified because our economy is depending on them to make purchasing decisions. So they're essentially the victims of a marketing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/children-are-being-adultified-because-our-economy-is-depending-on/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [In spite of my own reservations about Bing's ability to convert Google users, I have to admit that the search engine does offer a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/in-spite-of-my-own-reservations-about-bing-s-ability-to-convert/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“Limbic consonance is the little-known process through which the mood of a room changes when a happy or nervous person walks in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/limbic-consonance-is-the-little-known-process-through-which-the-mood/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Think 'Game of Thrones.' In the old days, this sort of show might be considered bad writing. It doesn't really seem to be moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/think-game-of-thrones-in-the-old-days-this-sort-of-show-might-be/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [We have the alternative. "Do I want to be on the subway looking at these people, or do I want to be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/we-have-the-alternative-do-i-want-to-be-on-the-subway-looking-at/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia”—the way our media and technologies encourage us to be in more than one place at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-the-way-our-media-and-technologies-encourage-us-to-be-in/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) [Explore all 180 Douglas Rushkoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## More Autonomous quotes > [While much of modern behavioral and social science treats individuals as autonomous agents, it is absolutely clear that the way we think and act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-r-nelson/while-much-of-modern-behavioral-and-social-science-treats-individuals/) Richard R. Nelson > [Autonomous vehicles, because they'll be able to operate at a lower cost, will be able to pull more consumers into the Lyft network. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zimmer/autonomous-vehicles-because-they-ll-be-able-to-operate-at-a-lower/) [John Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zimmer/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [“Last Wednesday Vince Cable, the UK business secretary, invited British cities to express their interest in being used as testing grounds for driverless cars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/last-wednesday-vince-cable-the-uk-business-secretary-invited-british/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Before a leader can be accepted, let alone succeed, autonomous professionals must agree to be influenced by that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maister/before-a-leader-can-be-accepted-let-alone-succeed-autonomous/) [David Maister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maister/) > [The challenge in scoring a sequel is, how do you not get bored? The only way around that one is to go, "Okay, let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/the-challenge-in-scoring-a-sequel-is-how-do-you-not-get-bored-the/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [“Autonomous people assert themselves against the status quo. They don't accept the prevailing opinion just because it's the one given to them. Nothing creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brito/autonomous-people-assert-themselves-against-the-status-quo-they-don-t/) Maria Brito > [People in my organization were very outspoken about what we should be doing with the Department of Defense. One of them is work on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-dean/people-in-my-organization-were-very-outspoken-about-what-we-should-be/) [Jeff Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-dean/) > [My personal fascination with the power of the crowd has been growing: Exactly what can a 'crowd' accomplish? We know crowds can raise billions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-diamandis/my-personal-fascination-with-the-power-of-the-crowd-has-been-growing/) [Peter Diamandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-diamandis/) > [The autonomous car is definitely coming, and when that stage comes, this ride-share business becomes even more important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/the-autonomous-car-is-definitely-coming-and-when-that-stage-comes/) [Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/) > [A song has a life of its own. It's an autonomous thing, separate from your own experience, almost. And the mere repetition of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/a-song-has-a-life-of-its-own-it-s-an-autonomous-thing-separate-from/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [We only want autonomous collaborators that are incentivized to make or break their own income.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/we-only-want-autonomous-collaborators-that-are-incentivized-to-make/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [We don't know what the trajectory of autonomous or linked vehicles will be, and we don't have a clear understanding on what that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/we-don-t-know-what-the-trajectory-of-autonomous-or-linked-vehicles/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [If the ongoing struggles waged by young people are to matter, demonstrations and protests must give way to more sustainable organizations that develop alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/if-the-ongoing-struggles-waged-by-young-people-are-to-matter/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The modern world needs people with a complex identity who are intellectually autonomous and prepared to cope with uncertainty; who are able to tolerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-havighurst/the-modern-world-needs-people-with-a-complex-identity-who-are/) [Robert J. Havighurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-havighurst/) [Browse all 187 Autonomous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autonomous/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No matter how much control kids get over the media they watch, they are still utterly powerless when it comes to the manufacturing of brands. 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