Corporate Media

[Grateful_Dad420]

I wouldn't mind television if it wasn't for the fact that they use my kids as a marketing ploy. They're not humans they're a number, a poll, and an investment. The reason that kids are the number one buyer in the country is because they don't cognitivly understand the differences in products. They can't weed out the bad propoganda that is thrown at them and keep the good stuff. I wish that the United States would adopt the same mentality towards child marketing that the U.K. has. There are no comercials allowed to be geared towards children. It stops the "I WANT I WANT" syndrome during the holiday's and near b-days and such. This is why in our house there are a plethera of televisions but no cable or antenna's. We rent films that will raise the thought level of our kids and will enrich their vocabularies and grey matter. If we pull the plug on the media, they'll get the idea that we dont' like their corporate weight on our kids. Let them be that kids, play grow, and think independantly. Independant of what the media tells them they should be and let them figure it out for themselves.

[joyful_mamma]

well said, honey

(he is my life partner, by the way...i don't normally call strangers on mb's 'honey'....really.)

[papabliss]

Hi Greatful Dad 420(great name!)

I agree about the marketeers attacking our kids. It is so refreshing when our dd who is both 3yo and unblemished by tv, is exposed to the latest toy trend that the other kids are ga-ga over and she couldn't care less what the toy is supposed to be, but just happy with what the toy actually is to her. It seems her imagination is so much richer when she creates her own meaning rather than what a company says she should think it is.

The "whine factor" is a target of ad execs where extreme brainpower and finances pours into the study of children's minds and senses as well as the weaknesses in their young character and those of the family unit. Then, for some reason I have yet to understand, parents not only provide a direct, uninterupted, uncensored pipeline between the corporations and their child, but some parents actually pay for the service.

The more I see effects of my daughter's lack of tv experience, the more I am convinced I am on the right path.

Sorry if this sounds preachy. I just don't get to say much of how I actually feel about this because so many of our friends are passionate about soothing effects. I have to bite my tougue quite often.

Cheers.

[familyman]

i dont let my kids watch commercial tv. pbs, ok. videos, some if they forward past the "preview ads". with the movies they do watch, i notice that if it has live actors (pref kids) instead of cartoons, my 7& 5 yr olds seem less grumpy after watching. any one else have the same experience?
i was recently impressed with 7 yr old ds. at christmas we went to legoland. we had just seen harry potter the movie after reading all the books. needless to say hp was every where, at the end of each ride etc. ds had saved $60.00 from b-day & x-mas and was chomping at the bit to buy hp lego sets. all day thats what i heard about, every turn brought up his planned purchase. at the end of the day we went to the big store near the exit. ds spent 45 min pondering his cherished score of hp legos. then turned and loaded up with the mid-evil knight play sets. later in the car i asked ds why? he had been talking about nothing but hp and then bought knights? his reply was with hp he could only play hp, but with knights he could make up his own games.
my wife and i looked at one another and smiled, proud we raised him to make good choices