Talk about kid power. When the 41.5 million 10-to-19-year-olds who live in the United States spent 170 billion dollars in 2002, adults paid attention. “Kids and teens are our authorities on cool,” says Carol Kauder of Radar Communications, who researches what people buy. That means if lots of kids decide something's cool, often everyone—including adults—will want it. Just how much do kids' entertainment choices affect the world? NG KIDS gives you six examples.
1． NOW PLAYING
More kids means more movies just for you. For example, in 2001 three of the top five grossing1 movies—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer2＇s Stone, Shrek, and Monster, Inc.—were aimed at kids. Fifteen years earlier, only one—An American Tail—made3 the top 20. There have been so many kid flicks4 lately that the Academy Awards launched a category5 just for animated feature films6. And the movie Finding Nemo was 2003's number one movie. “Fantastic7!”
2． TECH8 TRENDS
Who led the way to making new devices cool and hot? The answer: kids. Your generation is tops9 at dealing with new technology. That's why companies often rely on kids to steer10 them to the next big thing. Take text messaging11 on cell phones. Kids started the trend12, and suddenly everyone began doing it. Now companies are redesigning products to make text messaging easier. But you'll still get nailed for passing e-notes in class13!
3． MUSIC SCENE
Britney and the guys from ’NSYNC were teens when they hit14 the music scene. That's no surprise. Every time you buy a CD, your dollars (about 2.8 billion of them) are like votes. When you “vote” for young singers, the industry gives you ... more young singers. (Hello, Avril!) Your music affects other things, too. Justin sings for McDonald's. Beyoncé smiles for Pepsi. These companies want your business so much that they'll pay big bucks15 for your favorite singers to help sell products.
4． CARTOON NETWORKING16
You love your cartoons, and now today's adults are tuning in to17 a lot of the same shows that you are. About 30 percent of Powerpuff Girls18 fans are adults. About one-third of their viewers are between 15 and 49 years old. Why? Used to be, most cartoons were only for kids. But yesterday＇s kids still want their 'toons. So cartoon developers keep that in mind. “Cartoons blend in a level of humor that cracks up19 us older folks, too,” says humanities20 professor Charles Doersch.
5． GEEZERS21 GOT GAMES
In 2002 computers and video game software racked up22 6.9 billion dollars in sales. Maybe it's because 53.5 percent of gaming equipment is bought for or by kids. Or because kids who have gaming equipment play about 30 minutes a day. But maybe it's because kids were the first to see that video games were cool—and now six out of ten console23 gamers are adults.
6． HARRY POTTER MAGIC
It's no spell: Readers of all ages love Harry Potter. In fact, at least one in five U.S. adults has read an HP book. Maybe that helped the latest, Order of the Phoenix, become a best-seller before it was even published. And "kid lit24" for adults has gone beyond Harry. Last year The Amber Spyglass25 was named best children's book and best book overall in the United Kingdom.
且说一说孩子的影响。当美国4150万10到19岁的孩子在2002年一年里花掉1700亿美元的时候，成人们开始关注了。雷达通讯公司研究人们购物活动的卡罗尔·考德尔说，“东西酷不酷，儿童和少年是我们的权威。”也就是说，如果很多孩子觉得一样东西很酷，常常每个人——包括成人——都想要它。孩子们对娱乐的选择在多大程度上影响着世界？且让NG KIDS杂志拿六个例子加以说明。
1.现在上映
孩子越多，意味着为孩子拍的电影越多。比方说，2001年票房价值最高的五部电影中就有三部——《哈利·波特与魔法石》，《怪物史莱克》，《怪物公司》——是以孩子为对象的。再往前15年，只有一部少儿电影《老鼠也移民》进入票房榜前20部电影之列。近年来少儿电影如此之多，美国电影学院奖（即奥斯卡奖）索性专门为动画故事片推出一个奖项。电影《海底总动员》是2003年最卖座的电影。“不可思议！”
2.科技新潮
是谁带头使新事物酷起来俏起来？答案是：孩子。你们这代人接受新技术最快。正因如此一些公司靠孩子们引导他们开发出下一个轰动产品。比方说用手机发送文字信息。引领潮流的是孩子们，很快每个人都开始这样做了。现在一些公司重新设计他们的手机，让人们发起短信来更容易。不过你们在课堂上发短信还是会被逮住的喔！
3.乐坛即景
布兰妮和“超级男孩”初震乐坛时，也就是十几岁的孩子。这不奇怪。你们每买一张CD，你们花出去的每一美元（总共28亿美元）就是一张选票。当你们为少年歌手“投票”时，娱乐界就给你们……更多的少年歌手。（嗨，艾薇儿！）你们的音乐还影响到其他东西。贾斯汀在麦当劳广告中唱歌，碧昂丝在百事可乐的广告中微笑。这些公司太想利用你们的热情为他们的产品促销了，所以他们肯在你们青睐的歌手身上出大价钱。
4.卡通串串烧
你们爱看卡通片，如今的成人也爱看同样的卡通片。《霸王美少女》的影迷中有30%左右是成人。三分之一的观众是15到49岁的人。为什么呢？过去，大多数卡通片只是孩子们看的。但昔日的孩子们（如今已经成人）还想着他们的卡通。卡通开发者也把这一点记在心里。人文学教授查尔斯·多尔奇说：“卡通里融入了一定的幽默成份，把我们这些老家伙也逗乐了。”
5.老家伙也玩开了
2002年，计算机和影音游戏软件销售额达69亿美元，或许因为53.5%的游戏设备是为孩子们或被孩子们所买，或许因为有游戏设备的孩子们每天玩30分钟左右。但是，也或许是孩子们先看出来，影音游戏很酷——现在玩键盘游戏的人十个倒有六个是成年人。
6.哈利·波特魔法
这可不是魔咒：各种年龄的人都爱哈利·波特。事实上，每五个美国成年人中，至少有一个人读过一本哈利·波特的书。这可能还导致了哈利·波特系列最新一本《哈利·波特 和凤凰社》还没出版就已经成了畅销书。成人读的“儿童文学”还远不止《哈利·波特》。去年在英国，《琥珀望远镜》被评为最佳儿童读物，也被评为最佳大众图书。
1. gross v． 获得…总收入
2． sorcerer n． 男巫；魔术师
3． make v． 成功进入；成为…一员
4． flick [flik] n． （旧，口）电影
5． category n． 种类
6． animated feature film 动画故事片
7． fantastic adj． 奇妙；不可思议
8． tech [tek]＝technology 技术
9． tops adj． 最好的
10． steer v． 导向
11． text messaging 发文字信息
message n． ／v． （发）信息
12． trend [trend] n． 潮流；趋势
13． get nailed for passing e－notes in class 在课堂上发短信被逮住 nail [neil] v． ＝catch e－note 电子留言
14． hit the music scene 震动乐坛
15． buck n． （口）钱
16． network v． 网络；使成网状，联接
17． tune in to 收看，收听
18． Powerpuff Girls 霸王美少女（卡通片名）
19． crack up （此处）使忍俊不禁
20． humanities n． （复）人文学科
21． geezer n． （口）人；（尤指）老头儿
22． rack up 捞，赚（大钱）
23． console n． 控制台；仪表盘
24． lit＝literature 文学
25． the Amber Spyglass 琥珀望远镜 amber 琥珀
spyglass 小望远镜