The Brand-a-Baby Biz
From $50 for a list of suggestions to $475 for a numerologist to test the positive and negative associations of a certain name, the baby name business is booming. Sociologists and name researchers are reporting an increase in the level of stress that parents-to-be experience when choosing baby names, according to The Wall Street Journal.
From $50 for a list of suggestions to $475 for a numerologist to test the positive and negative associations of a certain name, the baby name business is booming. Sociologists and name researchers are reporting an increase in the level of stress that parents-to-be experience when choosing baby names.
Adding to the pressure are celebrities whose baby monikers read like bad science fiction or trendy cocktail names (see Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf-Lee and Apple Martin, respectively). Naming a baby can be like branding a product: Parents want their children to stand out without being too trendy.
Your support is crucial…WSJ.com:
Celebrities (think Apple Martin, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf-Lee) are helping to drive up the pressure. And the growing brand consciousness among consumers has made parents more aware of how names can shape perceptions. The result: a child’s name has become an emblem of individual taste more than a reflection of family traditions or cultural values. “We live in a marketing-oriented society,” says Bruce Lansky, a former advertising executive and author of eight books on baby names, including “100,000 + Baby Names.” “People who understand branding know that when you pick the right name, you’re giving your child a head start.” Read more
With an uncertain future and a new administration casting doubt on press freedoms, the danger is clear: The truth is at risk.
Now is the time to give. Your tax-deductible support allows us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes what’s really happening — without compromise.
During this holiday season, stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and ensure the stories that matter are told.
Courts & Law
How the younger brother of the famous general set out to stop indolent monopolies from using tariff protection to destroy competition.
Technology
The tech giant is expected to appeal, but the case has huge implications for the industry as a whole.
Technology
Artificial intelligence queries require about 10 times the amount of power as a typical Google search, leading to a spike in energy consumption.
Editorial Cartoons
Technology
Why technology implemented within dominant social frameworks will reinforce and exacerbate existing systemic injustices.
TD Original
As they once did in South Africa, U.S. tech companies maintain a system of surveillance and control in Gaza and the West Bank.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.