“Childhood is plenty commercialized before we do anything to help train a new generation of consumers to be as greedy, materialistic, and self-centered as we adults are. Instead of supporting free play in the fresh air, or role-play that comes anywhere near teaching empathy or compassion, KidZania teaches children the importance of the next paycheck. It’s incredible that they can get it all so wrong. After all, it’s child’s play.” — From “The State of Play”, by Mike Deri Smith at a website called The Morning News. Reading the article (and taking it at its word), it’s clear that this KidZania thing gets absolutely nothing right. For instance, Education is linked directly—and only—to earning more KidZo money, thus perpetuating the hollow ideal of vocational-only education… to say nothing of the corporate influence, and the reliance on advertising as a business model and a medium for “education”. April 14, 2011