Idolising Children?

I’m enjoying watching this story get some press.

Two NZ 14 year-olds did an experiment at school that showed Ribena didn’t have the vitamin C levels that Glaxosmithkline claimed. Today they copped it in an Auckland court.

This is another example of the capability of children and young people. The two young women tested several times and then pursued the company for answers. They din’t have to, but they did. Why? Perhaps children and young people do have a sense of social responsibility. Perhaps they do understand the way advertising works and what integrity means? Perhaps we underestimate what children understand and refuse to accept they don’t take things for granted like we do because they are still learning, developing and questioning at a rate far above ours.

Think about it. Over a 4 year period not one adult, not one organisation had bothered to check the vitamin C content of Ribena. How many other false claims do we allow to go unnoticed to the detriment of our children?

Update

The final cost, a fine of about $200K. Damn those kids.