Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Advertisements in Schools
“In
1993 District 11 in Colorado Springs started a nationwide trend,” writes
Schlosser, “becoming the first public school district in the United States
to place ads for Burger King in is hallways and on the sides of its school
buses.” (51)? What arguments might be
presented in defense of and in opposition to such practices?
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(Finally first again)
ReplyDeleteOne could say that the school is well within their rights to have advertisements in their buildings and property. If the school board approves it, it is rightfully allowed. It can be compared to catholic schools mandating church attendance.
That is more so true in a private school setting than in a state run institution but the logic still stands in both. I don't want to seem all philosophical here but the power of the state is earned from the consent of the governed. If the students or parents did not want advertisements in their schools, they have full right to take them away (peacefully). After all, the school was definitely payed for the ad space.
While schools are within their rights to have advertisements, my question is more about whether or not it is ethical?
ReplyDeleteI suppose I didn't state it clearly enough, I assumed most people would be appalled by the advertisements and argue against them so I decided to argue that it is ethical because [Insert what I wrote earlier].
DeleteAlso, reading the text you have over the picture, you only asked what arguments could be made for either side.
As for defense to the fact that District 11 in Colorado Springs became the first who allowed advertisement of fast food appear in its public school building and school buses, we can discuss in the following aspects. In the first place, the district can earn money by this way from the fast food industry to make up the shortage of budget for public education. Secondly, students and teachers could get the first-hand information about what new products was being served in the local fast food restaurant, so they would have more choices of food for their meals. Thirdly, as we know that the posters of advertisements for the fast food restaurant were normally colorful and attractive, their placement on the wall can decorate the hallways, making them vivid-looking.
ReplyDeleteIn opposition to the practice, eating unhealthy and school building for commercial use are the major issues. First of all, the existence of the advertisements of fast food in the school or on the school bus, which initially targeted at students, encouraged kids under 18 years old to eat unhealthy fast food. The irony was that the school was also a place where kids were supposed to learn and get benefits from. The presence of both advertisements of fast food and teachers’ criticism on its harmful effects in class was embarrassing to school. Students should be instilled correct concept at their young age, which they mostly get from school, in order to shape their own right judgment on good or bad, false or true when they become adults. The last but not least, school is a clean place where only pure education should be provided to the young children. Commercial elements, such as advertisement or so, do not belong to here. Moreover, juicy pictures of fast food ads can easily divert children’s attentions who are experiencing a hard time on focusing their minds from outside-world distraction.
I completely agree !
DeleteI too concur.
DeleteI have to completely agree with Yundai Hu, as well. Yundai, you brought some interesting points of views on the positives of adverts within the schools. Especially when you stated that these school would further educate the students on the choices they have on their meals. Teachers should take the initiative to further educate the students about the risk factors that those temping foods have on many Americans on the daily bases. These adverts, won’t infringe with their education. Unless the color and vibrant posters will be of great importance to the students themselves. These averts also increase revenue for the schools, who have been under budget due to the lack of federal funding to schools. In my opinion since these corporations are already investing in advertising, why don’t they invest some of that money back into the schools, to be put to good use. However, I do see how it might be an issue to the students and seen as baseness to the schools, because the schools are also contributing to the bigger picture of obesity in America and the issues faced with that many health factors. Like Yundai had previously stated “Schools shape these students to make their own right judgment on good or bad, false or true when they become adults” that’s when the problems of embarrassment comes to play because schools should not give them the “idea” that fast food is good or healthy for the students.
DeleteI also agree with Yundai school should not have advertisement it adds to the distraction to students. School focuses on education and if students have their attention drawn to advertisements that are marketing to sell them some product it makes it harder for them to learn and does not allow them to obtain the information they need. Though I think if they were advertising in the cafeteria about food I guess it would be fine but even that promotes them to eat fast food instead of food that is more healthier for them
DeleteWhile advertising in schools is a way to make money for the district, and they do not infringe any laws while doing so, I agree with Yundai. School is a place that should have limited distractions. Children receive enough targeting from commercials, posters, and the internet, must their place of learning be tainted as well? Halls covered in posters of bright colors and persuasive bold lettering, it's almost as if they're being attacked with constant consumerism. Schools are having hard times trying to control the cellphone distractions, but would implement even more just to make quick money. I thought teaching and school were about encouraging independent thinking, not creating mindless zombies.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Yundai as well. The advertisements in schools could be a massive distraction. In many schools, the kids with cell phones are easily distracted by Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Now if the school is advertising “buy 1 get 1 free big macs” then no one is going to be in school. Students find the simplest things to be distracted with. If the schools are going to advertise something, then it should be something educational. For example, they can advertise college seminars or tutoring. They will still be receiving money from these different organizations and promoting education at the same time. It is a win, win for both groups. And the advertisements would not be too distracting because no one really pays attention to those promotions.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Yundai. Advertisements for fast food restaurants is a distraction in a students environment because it calls the attention of delicious, tasting food while they should be focusing in their school work. Food advertisement can cause a student to become hungry in the middle of class and just focus its mind on food. It may also be contradicting what a health teacher or any other teacher may be teaching its student about being healthy. If a teacher encourages a student to be healthy and eat healthy food, the advertisements are demonstrating something different and encouraging the student to do the opposite of what the teacher may have been trying to teach the kid. There is enough advertisements on fast food outside of school grounds, the least they need is advertisement in school as well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may not seem like the "right" thing to do through the eyes of most people, I belive that advertisements in the schools is done more for the educational aspect in regards to the schools wanting to put them there rather than a distraction or the business aspect of it. I say this because although it does bring some sort of distraction with colors and all the tasty, life like pictures being exposed to the students, these advertisements do bring more advanced institutions for learning being provided for the students with all the money that they give to the schools. Not only would the institutions be of higher qualities but this factor would (from my perspective) encourage the students to want to be at school more. With really nice buildings to look at, better books to learn from, newer technology to use, the whole atmosphere that is seen in the schools would change for the better. So although it may not seem "ethical" to have advertisements for fastfood in schools, the districts putting them may be doing so with their minds on the children, to provide for a place where learning doesn't have to be done at a place where your grandma remembers from way back when, but at a place where you get a great education with newer surroundings.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some may find the practice unethical and counterintuitive to the purpose of a school, I do not find placing advertisements in schools to be unethical. Like Miguel said, the advertisements are ways for schools to generate revenue to (hopefully) purchase new books, technology, art supplies, sports equipment, etc. School districts are bringing advertisements into the hallways in an effort to improve their facilities and equipment, so the districts have good intentions. A lot of you are calling the advertisements “distractions”, but I cannot imagine a child, especially one in middle or high school, staring off into space daydreaming about the Taco Bell ad they saw in the cafeteria. Although it could be considered wrong for public school districts to bring corporate advertisements into schools, I do not think that the distraction factor should be the major argument. If anything, the argument against the advertisements should be that schools are partnering with corporations to breed a new generation of consumers. After a week or two, the ads are barely distractions, simply flyers that students pass on their way to class. So long as the district clearly states that the purpose of these advertisements is to gain funding and the district continues to offer healthy lunches not influenced by the fast food companies they partner with, I believe that more good is brought from these partnerships than harm, making the advertisements completely ethical.
DeleteI have to agree with a few of Yundai’s points. School is a place for guidance and learning not for distractions of the outside world. If school districts allow advertisements from fast food industries it might as well be like everything else in the outside world dominated by the big money corporations. Fast food isn’t even beneficial to children in anyway and to elaborate Yundai’s point it can promote children obesity. Schools are supposed to be closed off from harm and focus on their education. Another point is that if there is advertisements for fast food places then that could also encourage children to leave school grounds to get the food. Yes schools would earn a profit from the advertisements but what about the kids that can’t afford the fast food as well. This would help the fast food industry target children while they are most vulnerable. Children aren’t with their parents who do the decision making of what they eat. This persuades children that may not have a mind of their own or don’t know any better to eat unhealthy food.
ReplyDeleteIn the country that we live in obesity is a major problem along with child obesity. Advertising these fast food restaurants just support obesity. We're trying to steer away from it. I feel schools shouldn't advertise fast food because children will only listen and follow them. so lets just say at the age of nine that one child that saw that advertisement may now be completely unhealthy and obese. School is a place for learning and knowledge it isn't a place to condone unhealthy eating. These advertisements may cause distractions in school and students would not learn what there suppose to learn. Fast food advertisements at school only encourage unhealthy eating and cheap service. Later on in life these children will start to rely on these things. Schools shouldn't advertise anything that isn't school related. A child goes to school to learn not to be intrigued by a fast food advertisement.
ReplyDeleteI have disagree with a few of the points made in your statement Ambar. You say that by advertising such products in school that they are promoting obesity? You cannot simply make that inference off of a poster, even if it does show a photo of a delicious hot and ready pizza. The only people who support obesity are the people that sit there and become obese on their own, or the parents that allow their child to become obese.
DeleteBesides, schools may be a place of learning and knowledge, but don't confuse that with it being a place of healthy foods. School food is some of the most unhealthiest food you can find nowadays, just last year there was a whole scandal about schools giving students pink slime-- an alternative to pure ground beef. Their food is pretty much the equivalent to fast food if not even WORSE.
I have to agree with Ebony and Ambar on some of the points made. Schools shouldn't really advertise fast food in schools. In Ambar’s eyes they are promoting unhealthy and obesity. They aren’t necessarily promoting obesity, even though most of the foods aren’t really healthy, they are just endorsing things that are relating to most students, which is unhealthy eating. And this where I have to agree with Ebony these advertisements aren’t causing obesity. It’s the people that choose to go out and constantly eat the fast food. In many ways these advertisements cause distractions throughout the school day especially for high school students. Most high school students have the ability to leave during their free periods to go get food if they don’t want the school lunch. However, if they see these ads throughout the day they may be tempted to cut school to get food, instead of attending class. In the schools defenses they are just trying to make some money to help fund events.
DeleteSchools are in desperate need of funding to preserve programs, and schools get more funds from a growing economy, and those funds come from growing companies in the economy around the school. But that alone isn't a reason to allow advertising into schools. If the company is willing to give part of their proceeds to the school, this should definitely be allowed. The government continues to take money away from the schools, so why not put something in the school to make up for some of their losses. The more money a school has the more it can provide it's students with much needed textbooks, art supplies, and a better musical education. A few posters here, and there wouldn't cripple a students learing experience in school. It's our new reality, and if we do it right then.
ReplyDeleteThere are several arguments that can arise egarding the nature/ culture of the fast food industry in correlation with the topic of having advertisements on school property. One justification for not allowing fast food advertisement on school property would be that it would cause distractions and conflict of interest. I'm not sure what the school policy was back then, but now in most schools, items that are usually on the cafeteria menus cannot be sold on school grounds during the school day. Advertisements would work the same way because it would allure more children, particularly high school students to purchase food from these restaurants during lunch periods. Also, by depicting posters and signs for leading fast food restaurant such like Burger King, McDonald, Little Caesars ect., we would be working against America's "goal" for children to acquire knowledge to help them make healthier choices in order to prevent future health problems.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, another argument that could be made is that by posting these ads on school property, we would be facilitating the growth of the fast food culture in our communities, hence enabling kids to believe that depending on fast foods would not have any detrimental effect in their future. From Schlosser's perspective, the notion of allowing these advertisements to b illustrated in schools would be strongly opposed because it would further target children, while Schlosser believes that we should be protecting the youth. Also more high school students may take interest in having a part time job at these fast food restaurants, which in his perspective may interfere with a child meeting his or her scholarly expectations.
In defense of District of Colorado Springs, the school district was unable to provide for the children and the only way to receive money would be to partner up with Burger King and let them use ads on school buses and hallways to get money and help the district's budget. Although it benefits the school immensely, in opposition to this practice, it is brainwashing the students of District 11, not letting advertisements leave their sights at all from the morning that they wake up to go to school to see advertisements everywhere, to night time from watching endless commercials on tv about Burger King. School is a place to learn, to get an education and focus on the tasks at hand. Having advertisements for fast food restaurants just simply blinds the children from their real purpose in school which is to learn. It is completely understandable how the school would allow Burger King to get money, however, the district could have gone about it a different way. Instead of letting fast food restaurants allow advertising, they could have teamed up with an educational program that would give the school money helping them to learn much better instead of staring at a Burger King advertisement in the hallway craving a whopper than to be in class attentively learning and progressing.
ReplyDeleteAs most of my peers have already mentioned, these schools have allowed advertisements to be put up in their schools to help benefit them in a time where the economy is waning and they may not have the funds to properly run their school. And I agree with this point completely. However one point that many of you made that I want to give an arugment against, is that they shouldn't be allowed to advertise in schools.
ReplyDeleteNow while I'm not too hot about the whole fast food advertisments in school issue. Personally I don't believe that it's ethical of them to do it, I just want to pose the idea that they shouldn't be unable to advertise in the schools altogether. Just last month most of us argued that the first ammendment right, freedom of speech, should be extended into the learning instutiution and not be bound by it. Well here we have it, people expressing their first ammendment right before our eyes. Are we going to tell them that they aren't allowed to do what they are under the constitution?
Once again, I do not believe that it is ethical, and it would be nice if they refrained from doing this. This is simply me posing an argument for the side of the story that has been seemingly neglected.
In the defense of the Colorado Springs school starting this trend, it's technically ethical and not ethical for them to do this. It's ethical because they are providing advertisements that will generate money as a result of these students noticing the ads and making it their personal choice wether or not to feed into it and purchase the food. It's not ethical because advertising fast food in a school setting, I'd not necessarily appropriate. Schools should be focused on promoting education & not what fast good their students should consume. Having kids see this in a school setting would only cause them to grow accustomed to seeing these ads because they see them in the outside world. Their not a distraction because it's the students choice wether or not to pay attention to it. The primary unethical aspect of this is that it's in a school setting, where they should be focusing on education & not food.
ReplyDeleteTo add to what many of my peers have stated, advertising fast food in schools could be to possibly help the school's economy. Why else would a school help support an industry? They must be receiving some kind of profit in return. Schools should definitely be allowed to advertise such material, only if their school board approves. As Edward mentioned, in a private school setting, it is mandatory that students must attend the church function. Being that it is a private school, the parents of these students will know what their child will be attending. However, although the school board may be informed of the advertising, Do the parents of the students know? That would be the topic of discussion that could possibly cause a conflict. It could be argued that these advertisements now promote bad health, obesity and possibly even death. If schools shall in fact promote fast food restaurants, parents/guardians should be notified. Overall, It isn't necessarily "wrong" to advertise these restaurants, but it should be thought about, the effects of doing so. As Yundai mentioned as well, the colors could add a nice design to hallways :).
ReplyDeleteFast food advertisement in schools increase money for the school and the company, but it decreases the health and life expectance for children due to clogged arteries, organ failure, etc. I know this cause and effect seems like a bit of an exaggeration but it can happen, and by schools advertising fast food they're are just as guilty as the fast food companies. School are supposed to be for the children's benefit, it should increases their knowledge, but by advertising fast food, it increases their appetite for junk.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to my statement, Schools have the right to advertise fast food if they wish, but that does not necessarily mean it is right. By advertising fast food, more children would be out of class and into hospital because of bad health.
DeleteI strongly agree with Travon and everyone else who said that advertising should be allowed in schools because it would provide the school with more income and it would cause the school to have more money to support more programs and sports if they want to maintain their weight if they chose to eat fast food. I personally think that there is nothing wrong with advertising in schools because even if the advertisement can influence a child’s mind it is up to the parents to decide if they want to purchase the food for the child or cook for them at home. The only downside I can foresee that would be a direct cause of the fast food companies advertising in schools would be that it would cause the kids to get hungry from the visuals (like myself) but other than that it would be a great source of income and it would beatify the school depending on who you ask.
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