兒童消費逐漸成為一個重要議題：經由當代蓬勃發展的大眾媒體的各種置入性行銷與廣告的洗禮，兒童難以避免的在整個物質社會中，不斷受到來自於商業廣告的「教化」，教導他們如何消費。本文以麥當勞的消費為切入點，探索臺灣國小兒童消費的經驗與問題，特別以桃園市的國小做為研究對象，以解釋臺北大都會區之外，已經脫離農村生活，逐漸工業化與商業化的小型都市裡，國小兒童（四年級與六年級學生）速食消費的狀態；並特別側重於消費的學習與社會再生產；以及親子關係與家庭教養的問題。本研究發現，家庭的經濟、社會與文化條件的差異都會影響孩童消費麥當勞的經驗。就輕齡孩童而言，在消費麥當勞的外食抉擇上，身負教養照顧職責的父母親仍為主變數。對大齡的兒童來說，廣告媒體有較大的影響力，以當前臺灣的孩童成長的環境而言，生活的社會化與媒體消費者的社會化有極大的部分是彼此相互重疊的。兒童的消費也回應Bourdieu的理論，是將消費的符號、象徵和價值與社會身分團體的概念相結合，不僅表達了經濟的差異，同時更是一組社會與文化的實踐，建立了社會團體間的差異。

Childhood consumerism is viewed as an important issue in the educational arena. Contemporary children have increasingly abundant knowledge regarding advertisements, brands, commodities, and mass media; and their knowledge and desire for commodities are becoming a new challenge for families and educators. This paper discusses the consumption of McDonald's products by primary school children in Taiwan. Basing our research on focus groups, we will explore the problems of consumption learning and social reproduction: and the parent/child relationship. This paper argues that the economic, social and cultural differences of families influence the McDonald's experience. For younger children, parents are the driving force behind McDonald's consumerism, and there is little or no negotiation between the two generations. For older children, however, the impact of mass media and advertising is clearly seen in their consumer choices regarding McDonald's. These differing influences bear out Bourdieu's theory that McDonald's consumption is a social or cultural practice that does more to establish social differences than economic ones.