Dec. 24, Michael Davis, economics professor at the Cox School of Business, SMU Dallas, for a nostalgic read at the intersection of a Letter-To-Santa and a child’s lack of information about brand names because — well, commercial influencers are mostly missing from contemporary kid media culture. Published in USA Today with the heading A Christmas story — with no commercial interruptions: http://bit.ly/34H91X8
I’m not going to tell you this is the best holiday season ever. COVID-19 has killed more than 1.7 million people around the world, nearly 11 million Americans can’t find work, the U.S. national debt will soon exceed $30 trillion and our politicians claim that their opponents hate puppies. I’m an economist. I know these things.
But here’s something I’m very thankful for: Our 5-year-old had a hard time writing her letter to Santa Claus. I know it seems weird, but it turns out her struggle is a happy reminder of how modern life can be better. Here’s why.
Despite what her grandmother and aunts think, she’s not that different than other kids. She’s not some emerging saint, selflessly spreading holiday cheer to all. She likes stuff. More toys and candy are better. She is what in economics we call a “rational consumer.”
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