Captive Audience: Advertising Invades the Classroom

[AltairEgo1]

Next, let's have advertisement in textbooks.

"This history lesson brought to you by Carl's Junior."

[iamalwaysontherun]

@AltairEgo1 lol.

[AltairEgo1]

@iamalwaysontherun

Indeed.

Brought to you by Carl's Jr.

[cherubicnerd]

my god! a domino's pizza ad on the hall wall!

[EricNyhmfan]

Good thing they didn't do this to schools in Canada yet, no vending machine, no corp ads/logos, closest thing is the poster equivelant of PSAs. Is the U.S. the only country that is being taken over like that, besides their attempts at raising the "3rd world" in their image.

[tehcommenterofepic]

@EricNyhmfan Theres something called "qsp" google it, it gives crappy prizes to children who sell overpriced magazine subscriptions to their parents and a *tiny* percent goes to the school.

[Essa698]

Why don't we give a class on commercialism, soon enough all the kids will know about the greedy companies. Some sort of brainwashing either way. But if you could do that commercialism would die down a little bit. For schools? Only if they are desperate. I wouldn't really care if they were in mine, but feel sorry for some kids who are giving in.

[extremeeXrement1]

whats wrong commercialism

[CODGuested]

I think media fucking owns. My parents let me play Modern warfare 2 all day, and I'm really thin!

[mormor39]

keep ads out of school. throw away your TV and save 3000 hours of advertising time a year for yourself. I'm doing a mall project on consumerism and shopping malls and welcome any contributions. your stories will get made into films. go to my site, and clock on the Mall vids. then get in touch. Ewan

[670Kiester]

I find it amazing that having a degree in marketing is seen as a desirable, white collar job for smart people, something to be proud of.

To me they are sleazy a-holes.

I understand what Hunter S Thompson meant when he said he wanted to punch a salesman, or was it kill a salesman?

Cheers

[donjabroni]

Depends on the advertising. Advertisers that sells unhealthy products like Coca-cola, Dominoes Pizza, etc should not be in the schools.

[7jessicasamaan]

I don't see the problem with school advertisement. I believe that if someone wants something they will buy it, regardless of advertisements. I don't understand why they are making a big deal out of it. How I see it is, at least they aren't trying to convince younger people to drink or do drugs. They are only advertising foods, drinks, clothing, etc.. products that younger people would buy anyway, whether it be a friend showing the product to them, or even their own family members. Jessica Samaan

[hectorh29]

Thats just the problem that almost everyone, adults and children, identify so heavily with products as a crucial part of their cosmology.  Its not longer just a part of life its now something that gives one identity, social mobility and a sense of belonging. Think of kids who dont have nice close in schools they get treated like shit. Your almost forced to play the game. I shop there for i am.

[Thelaofkazi]

@7jessicasamaan

There have been numerous psychological studies conducted that show how easily conditioned a child or teen can be to identify with a specific brand or product. Do some research.

Many of the foods and drinks that are advertised are unhealthy and cause even more harm then drugs (take a look at our obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease rates, these are some of the leading causes of death for Americans, and these products contribute to these issues).

[Thelaofkazi]

@7jessicasamaan

Cont.

Corporations have firm control over many aspects of our lives and our government, they create many problems for us. Look at how clothing companies use sweatshop and child labor, how the food industry causes many help problems, and many of them lobby heavily to control our government, which undermines democracy. I don't really have enough room to explain it all, the information is out there, it's not that difficult to find.

[Thelaofkazi]

@7jessicasamaan

Cont. again:

But my point is, the control corporations have over our lives has gotten to the point where they are a plague on us and our government, and advertising is just one of the ways they influence and control us. It's not as simple as "people will buy what they want, regardless," saying that is ignoring many of the psychological findings on advertising and it's effects.

[7jessicasamaan]

I don't see the problem with school advertisement. I believe that if someone wants something they will buy it, regardless of advertisements. I don't understand why they are making a big deal out of it. How I see it is, at least they aren't trying to convince younger people to drink or do drugs. They are only advertising foods, drinks, clothing, etc.. products that younger people would buy anyway, whether it be a friend showing the product to them, or even their own family members.

[oHelmslyo]

We always mute the ads when they come on. We don't let ads tell us what to do, and we buy products from big corporations only because we like them, not because we were told that by advertisements. Why can't libraries & schools be commercial-free? If you're gonna give funding with vending machines, how about just leaving it at that instead of plastering the walls with advertising to go along with it? If kids are gonna be marketed to, why in the schools? What's the real benefit?

[ubentu]

More money in funds for the schools, better living standards for staff (less getting laid off at least)

not that I like it, but that's a reason.

[Soulforge00]

As I see it, kids are going to be exposed to a million advertisements a year anyway. We might as well get some money in the schools - we're going to have to teach kids to be wary of ads anyway.

[rjaguar3]

I know that if I were ten years younger, there would be no way I'd be allowed to watch TV these days. I don't argue that kids who watch TV, movies, etc. see lots of ads. The problem is that kids are forced BY THE GOVERNMENT to watch third-party ads, with no way of opting out. Were I in middle school in 2009, those ads (if I had to watch them) would be one of the few ads I'd be seeing.

Kids have access to a million ads these days. If they like it, let them have it. Don't force it on us all!

[iydsysstole101]

Capti warning.

Your brain is not working.

[Liesey83]

lets hope this sickening practice doesn't reach other parts of thew world

[BruinMama]

More reason to HomeSchool....My kids do not watch T.V during the day. If they are not too busy playing together in the evening, they may sit for a short time and watch a show.. (No! I only have two kids.) One thing we do is use the mute button, so we do not have to listen to commercials. It makes a HUGE difference, try it.. We also TiVo a lot of shows so we can FF through the commercials.

[JackSaturday]

I wonder where Naomi Klein ever got the idea that "the values and goals of education" include "asking students" to "look deeper" and "to find their own answers"?

Some teachers may have had that idea when young and naïve, but they either changed or were squeezed out. Ask John Holt or John Taylor Gatto. Obedience, conformity, and rote, repetivie work.

[FrankFacade]

yeah, it's sickening. My kids go to alternative schools, one Waldorf one Montessori, I doubt we will ever put them in public schools. It's a shame.

[breechbirthinmama]

I just found out Channel One is broadcast daily in my sons' school. My kids will be pulled out. I am out raged! If you aren't outraged you either aren't a parent or you aren't paying attention.

[Remoteum]

The public school teachers and administration, being made up of people who are particularly interested in economic security, can be counted on for ANYTHING that directly or indirectly puts money in their pockets.

[pumbjaba]

:\

You shoulden't be so quick to turn teachers into corporate whores. Teachers are already payed shit for the amount of work they do and amount of stress that job brings.

You're a little dellusional if you think teachers choose that job for the money.

[heatherpiggott]

I completely agree. Although this is a bad situation, subjecting students to advertising in schools, teachers and administrators have no choice because its money that provides much needed supplies and programs in the school. Teachers need this because the government isn't providing adequate funding to the schools. Teachers horribly underpaid and ALL teachers use some of their OWN money to buy things for their class.

[ed4wb]

I disagree. As a teacher, I think we have an obligation to keep adv. out of schools even if it means being underfunded. It's about priorities. The USA has the money to fund schools. As a nation, we'd rather fund our military, Wall St., and Corp Interests (thanks Congress). By caving in, we are ultimately selling kids' futures so that Corps. can profit. Selling kids' health (sugary drinks, candy and materialism) isn't worth having "some supplies".

[donjabroni]

That's somewhat true aboutt the military. The average soldier gets peanuts for what they do, it's the contractors that makes the big bucks.

[extremeeXrement1]

@ed4wb your a dumb bitch you know that because of people like you schools are cutting money for after school activities with nothing to do kids will do drugs and join gangs

[IheartLatinoMen]

marketing to children is horrible, they even use children to sell cars!.. anything imaginable can be sold from a child's influence

[MikeT2005]

Good point. Where IS the outrage? I think they underestimate children. "Children in school see ads and think that makes it the right choice of product." Do they think kids are really that stupid? Or just American kids?

[papackar]

One pathetic understatement after another. Where is the outrage?

[esteban0]

I believe that advertising in schools is definitely a way to go. It is a perfect market and target for certain products such as softdrinks, shoes, etc. Obviously the dilema of WHICH products should be advertised exists, but thats no reason to say NO and just ban any brand. New channels of communication are found each day, and this is just another great, creative example.

[32oz]

Advertising in dreams...

[AgentXRifle]

lol,this video helped me for a school project, i dont care if they advertise or not,but if thy do they should be paying for our textbooks/computers, insted of taxes

[jermill9]

yes, they belong to taxpayers, and as a taxpayer I want advertising in the schools.  suck on that.

[MrJanitor]

Brilliant - just what I need for lectures on commercialization of education.

thanks for posting it.