MARKETING: Harmful to children or not??

Discussion in 'Human Science' started by darkness24, Mar 22, 2009.

  1. darkness24 Registered Member

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    I have to take part in a debate and argue that marketing is not harmful to kids! most views suggest that marketing is harmful.. but are there any pros to targeting children??
     
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  3. shorty_37 Go! Canada Go! Registered Senior Member

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    I have to lean towards all this marketing being a pain in the ass esp for parents because then kids want all this stuff.

    I am trying to think of pros.......

    I have 2 boys and they are into skateboarding, Bmx biking and Motocross Dirt Biking, Basketball, Soccer.......

    You could say that the marketing of these types of things would promote/ encourage your kids to get out and exercise instead of being couch potatoes.
     
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  5. StrangerInAStrangeLand SubQuantum Mechanic Valued Senior Member

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    Most marketing is deception, (attempted?) brainwashing & fraud. Harmful to nearly everyone.
     
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  7. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    How would you find out about products without marketing (Id est: Advertising)? I disagree with the following
    The marketing efforts of Staples made it easy for me to find the computer furniture which will be delivered to me in a few days. I did not have to go to several stores to research the items available.

    Clever marketing is harmful to those who have personality defects and/or diminished intelligence. EG: Instant gratification syndrome, lack of budgeting skills, inability to understand time payments (You do not pay more for the expensive item, you only pay longer), lack of disipline (or back bone) in dealing with spoiled children, et cetera.

    BTW: How many who are posting to this thread buy something they neither need nor want due to the marketing efforts of the vendors? How many of your friends buy such items due to marketing?
     
  8. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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  9. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    Marketing to children would be harmful if they had control of purchases, with neither a requirement for earning money nor a fixed allowance.

    A parent with some parenting skills should be able to counteract fraudulent advertising.

    Even a teenager with money available for spending on what he/she wants, only has to get burnt once or twice by some shoddy product with a convincing TV commercial or billboard ad.

    Of course if Mommy or Daddy foot the bill every time, the teenager will not learn. With sensible family dynamics, money spent by a teen or child on a worthless item prevents the purchase of some other item.

    Those who blame advertising & TV for problems in our culture are hoping to find some legislation which protects fools from their folly.

    Those who claim that children are hurt by marketing ploys do not realize that the children are being hurt by poor parenting.

    BTW: When I was in 9th grade through my senior year in college, most of my class mates were from very affluent families (my family was comfortable but not affluent). Most of them had far less spending money than their parents could afford to give them. Their parents bought them expensive clothes & they took expensive vacations, but they did not have much more spending money than I had.
     
  10. shorty_37 Go! Canada Go! Registered Senior Member

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    True.....

    Like the Danone, Yop, Tubes, yogurt snacks Or some of the Whole Wheat cereals, sugar free gum, 1/2 the sugar granola bars, Milk, Chocolate Milk, fat free Jello and Jello Pudding snacks.......etc.
     
  11. shorty_37 Go! Canada Go! Registered Senior Member

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    :thumbsup: I agree with you there. Just because my kids are exposed to all this marketing doesn't mean I will buy it for them. I don't think it harms them it is just a pain in the ass for parents sometimes.
    To be honest though it is not so much the marketing it is the friends they have whose parents buy them whatever they want. Then you hear the old......." Well everybody has one" Which I reply that's great, do you want to live with them?

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    I didn't raise spoiled brats who threw tantrums over not getting something. If parents are stupid enough to buy their toddler something because they are going to throw themselves on the floor and have a tantrum that is their own stupid fault. My kids never pulled that with me because they knew it wouldn't work and I would NOT put up with it. You have to nip that in the bud early, because trying to enforce it later will be hell.

    My kids do chores and get an allowance that they can do what they want with. They are A LOT more careful on what they spend it on then if someone else bought it. If you teach your kids it takes work to earn money they will spend it more responsibly.
     
  12. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    I have to agree. As a society, it seems that we try to place blame for things that we do wrong or harmful ...instead of taking responsibility for our own actions. It's actually a sad commentary on our society as a whole.

    Marketing of products is neither good nor bad, it's neutral, it's information that you may or may not use ...it's your choice. "Kellogs Frosted Flakes made me do it!" is hardly an excuse for wrongdoing, and yet that kind of excuse is heard often in today's society ...and worse, it's used successfully in court!

    What does it mean for us, as a society, when we can't or don't expect people to take responsibility for their own actions?

    Baron Max
     
  13. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Marketing the right types of products can be a very good and worthwhile thing. Enviromentally sound things like hybred cars, non polluting aerosols, things that decompose within a short time frame, non harmful chemicals and on and on are very good things to bring awareness to people everywhere. Without good marketing there wouldn't be many ways to change peoples minds as to how things can be better for them if given a chance.
     
  14. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    If you don't plant your kid in front of a TV as if its a babysitter, they will see little marketing.
    The only time I see a lot of marketing aimed at kids is around xmas. And then I need them to see it so that I know what to get them.
     
  15. John99 Banned Banned

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    well products are usually designed for a specific group. like a sports car appeals to young men, but is you think this is brain washing then maybe we should all wear white jumpsuits and try to be as unemotional as possible.
     

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