You may wish to sign up for updates at: The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood www.commercialfreechildhood.org We highly recommend this organization.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maeXjey_FGA#
With virtually no government or public outcry, the multi-billion dollar youth marketing industry has been able to use the latest advances in psychology, anthropology, and neuroscience to transform American children into one of the most powerful and profitable consumer demographics in the world. American kids now influence an estimated $700 billion in annual spending, targeted virtually from birth with a relentless bombardment of sophisticated commercial appeals designed to sell everything from Hollywood merchandise and junk foods to iPods, cell phones, the family car and vacations. The result is that childhood itself has been commercialized. Drawing on the insights of experts, industry insiders, and children themselves, Consuming Kids traces the evolution and impact of this disturbing and unprecedented phenomenon, exposing the youth marketing industry’s controversial tactics and exploring the effect of hyper-consumerism on the actual lived experience of children.
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is a national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups, parents, and individuals who care about children. Headquartered at the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston, CCFC is the only national organization devoted to limiting the impact of commercial culture on parents. CCFC’s staff and Steering Committee are activists, authors, and leading experts on the impact of media and marketing on children. Most of us are also parents.
Our mission
CCFC’s mission is to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers. A marketing-driven media culture sells children on behaviors and values driven by the need to promote profit rather than the public good. The commercialization of childhood is the link between many of the most serious problems facing children, and society, today. Childhood obesity, eating disorders, youth violence, sexualization, family stress, underage alcohol and tobacco use, rampant materialism, and the erosion of children’s creative play, are all exacerbated by advertising and marketing. When children adopt the values that dominate commercial culture—dependence on the things we buy for life satisfaction, a “me first” attitude, conformity, impulse buying, and unthinking brand loyalty—the health of democracy and sustainability of our planet are threatened. CCFC works for the rights of children to grow up—and the freedom for parents to raise them—without being undermined by commercial interests.
BusRadio, which hopes to “take targeted student marketing to the next level” by forcing children to listen to its commercialized radio broadcasts on school buses, has sunk to a new low. The company is advertising the highly sexualized new television show 90210 on BusRadio.com, its website for children as young as six.
Tell Bus Radio: Stop promoting 90210 to six-year-olds.
BusRadio.com – the company’s website for students that is promoted throughout BusRadio’s broadcasts on elementary, middle, and high buses – is urging children to tune in to tonight’s premiere of 90210, a show that the CW Network calls a “sexier” and “more provocative” update on the popular series from the nineties. [1] A trailer for the show on the BusRadio website teases several sex scenes, while a banner ad featuring the stars of the show in sexualized poses links to the show’s website.[2] The show is exploiting preteens “currently smitten with Hannah Montana and the Jonas Bros” through merchandise such as backpacks, school supplies, and clothing.[3] Media reports also suggest the show will feature a significant amount of product placement.[4]
BusRadio sells itself to school districts as an age-appropriate alternative to FM radio, but the company’s definition of “age-appropriate” frequently differs from that of parents. Seminole County, Florida recently terminated their relationship with BusRadio when the company refused to stop playing songs from albums with parental warnings for explicit lyrics and content. Advertisers on BusRadio’s elementary school broadcasts include the highly sexualized Bratz brand. Another elementary school advertiser, Answers.com, tells students to do their homework by looking up their answers on the Internet and mocks a student for carrying around books. BusRadio broadcasts encourage young students to visit its BusRadio.com website where inappropriate media, including Mature-rated video games and now 90120, are promoted.
We believe no child should be held captive by BusRadio and we will continue to organize parents and educators around the country to keep advertising off of school buses. But we also think it is important to protect those students who are unfortunate enough to ride buses with BusRadio from this kind of sexualized advertising.
Please visit http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/621/t/6914/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=25409 to tell BusRadio to stop advertising 90210 to young children.
Thanks,
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
www.commercialfreechildhood.org
Support CCFC. We rely on our members because we will not compromise our commitment to children by accepting corporate funding. Between now and September 5, donate $75 or more and receive a signed copy of Diane Levin’s and Jean Kilbourne’s So Sexy, So Soon. To make a tax-free contribution, please visit https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/621/t/6725/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3839
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