Commercial Free Kids?
If you have little ones, it's shocking just how influential telelvision commercials, product promotions and product placement are on their little lives. There are days I just want to throw up my arms and move to Idaho (any better there?) and other days I just give up the war and let them devour commercials to their hearts content.
Neither extreme works as a long-range realistic parenting strategy. It is tempting to cancel cable (I know a lot of homeschool moms who don't have it) but I also remember my sister-in-law saying that she limited television so much for her oldest that the kiddo missed out on some cultural references and nuances that were familiar (perhaps too familiar) to her peers. That actually was the best reason I could find for keeping the cable and just managing the time spent consuming television and commercials. I also REALLY talk to the kids about advertising; how it works, what rules they do and don't follow; how in other countries there are laws against advertising certain products directly to kids (like all of Europe). My kids know that the commercial for some flying fairy doll was basically a lie because we bought the darn thing and, in their words, "it sucked." So....good lesson. Applies to junk food too.
On a societal level, I believe that the advertising and marketing promotions directly targeting kids and creating the official and aptly named "nag factor" are out of control in the U.S. As with anything in our country, change has to come from a movement and there are some great organizations making a fuss about this issue. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is really making an impact. You can get on their email list and recieve updates of really egregious examples of marketing to kids and what the CCFC did to counter it. It's important to stay informed: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/
I'm taking my kids to see The Chronicles of Narnia this week -- but I also told them that the makers of the film spent million and millions to have other companies like McDonalds get excited about the film. You know kids just think that everybody is celebrating because of the new film. They don't get the economics behind it until it's pointed out.
For that matter, neither do some adults. Oh well! I would support laws that limited advertising to kids, especially junk food. I think junk food will be the subject of my next blog...
Lisa
Neither extreme works as a long-range realistic parenting strategy. It is tempting to cancel cable (I know a lot of homeschool moms who don't have it) but I also remember my sister-in-law saying that she limited television so much for her oldest that the kiddo missed out on some cultural references and nuances that were familiar (perhaps too familiar) to her peers. That actually was the best reason I could find for keeping the cable and just managing the time spent consuming television and commercials. I also REALLY talk to the kids about advertising; how it works, what rules they do and don't follow; how in other countries there are laws against advertising certain products directly to kids (like all of Europe). My kids know that the commercial for some flying fairy doll was basically a lie because we bought the darn thing and, in their words, "it sucked." So....good lesson. Applies to junk food too.
On a societal level, I believe that the advertising and marketing promotions directly targeting kids and creating the official and aptly named "nag factor" are out of control in the U.S. As with anything in our country, change has to come from a movement and there are some great organizations making a fuss about this issue. Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is really making an impact. You can get on their email list and recieve updates of really egregious examples of marketing to kids and what the CCFC did to counter it. It's important to stay informed: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/
I'm taking my kids to see The Chronicles of Narnia this week -- but I also told them that the makers of the film spent million and millions to have other companies like McDonalds get excited about the film. You know kids just think that everybody is celebrating because of the new film. They don't get the economics behind it until it's pointed out.
For that matter, neither do some adults. Oh well! I would support laws that limited advertising to kids, especially junk food. I think junk food will be the subject of my next blog...
Lisa
posted by Lisa at
11:45 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home