Tuesday, October 27, 2009

No ads for children campaign


I took this photo in front of La Sorbonne university (on the Boulevard Saint Germain side). There were several people demonstrating against "ads that target children on television". Let's face it, I don't think they have the slightest chance of being heard... But I have to admire people who defend the causes they believe in, even if it's a lost one. FYI, from what I read on the Web, French children spend on average between 2 and 3 hours per day in front of a TV screen. I would have thought much more than that to be honest...

20 comments:

  1. that's a good idea, though. If we could banish advertisement during programming in the US, I might consider watching more TV.

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  2. For the record, I'm OK with ads between programming, I just hate it when they interrupt your concentration every 20 minutes to show you the same thing over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over...

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  3. Is that 2-3 hours a day, Eric? Sounds almost American.

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  4. Sad but true. Our children, in our more affluent countries spend far too much time in front of a TV or computer or video games. Poignant photo Eric.

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  5. I admire how legible that sign is!

    I actually thought French children watched less TV.

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  6. You could probably add a few hours of computer time to that!

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  7. Eric, I'm with these people (and nice shot)! Stop advertising to toddlers. Although it's totally up to the parents to protect them and make sure they don't watch too much telé. One of the magazines I work for is called Parents, and one of our cardinal rules is: limit the amount your kids watch and no TVs in children's rooms!
    Message to Coltrane from yesterday: I think you know my dad worked with the Yankees back in the '60s, so I'm a perpetual fan. Go, Bronx Bombers!

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  8. Once again, that last comment is from me—not from my kid, who has by necessity lately taken over my computer but can't remember to sign out.

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  9. never say never! Here in sweden it's probibited to advertise on tv towards children under the age of 12 since many years now.

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  10. I agree, it's a concern. When my children were very small they didn't have tvs in their bedrooms and I think that's how it should be. Bedrooms should be peaceful places with toys and books. Having said that, they had their fair share of tv during the day, like most children, after school! A lot of that, though, was videos so advertising wasn't a feature. It's worrying that tv is sometimes used as a babysitter and one which can put unwanted things into children's heads.

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  11. 2 to 3 hours per day is enormous ! Still slightly less than US kids but not that much !!!http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/tv-viewing-among-kids-at-an-eight-year-high/print/

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  12. Eric, don't you mean on the Boulevard St. Michel side??

    I could be wrong but, Sorbonne faces Boul'Mich at one side and Rue Saint Jacques at the other. I could be wrong..


    I think these people have few chances of being heard too, not because the campaign is not worthy, but because of the way they are doing it. They don't seem to be drawing much attention....

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  13. Hey guess what?!
    I just read on the local paper that the mayor of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë, is here in Rio right now!!!

    He's working with our mayor on some urban projects cooperation in our city. That's great!

    Any interference from Delanoë is welcome!

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  14. I just read last night that US kids watch an avg of 32 hours per week. Average. So lots are watching more. The guys in yellow here don't have a chance, but, I wish they did. If there were fewer hours watched, they wouldn't need to be there because advertisers wouldn't have a market.

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  15. This is such a poignant shot. The posture suggests this protester already senses defeat.

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  16. Wow, Carrie, that's over 4.5 hours a day.

    My friend's 6-year-old is addicted to Wii. Is that how you spell it? She lets him play it. He gets home from school and plugs himself in and that's fine with her. I think it's heartbreaking. Maybe it'll provide him with a skill he needs somewhere down the road, but where's softball? Bike riding? Books? Interacting with other humans?

    There is advertising on the Wii, it's always trying to sell him something.

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  17. You thought it would be more ?
    when you know that kids go to bed around 8pm, it's quite a lot I believe ! It means that when they're not at school, they are in front of TV ...

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  18. Utilising my extensive knowledge of 'Franglais', I mis-read this poster at first sight. Imagine my relief when I realised that France wasn't proposing 'pubs for children'.

    Lynn, I agree with that young children shouldn't have TVs in their bedrooms, although it now seems commonplace.

    Petrea, I'm afraid games consoles are a fact of modern life. On the plus side, I know several families play Wii games together as a family.

    I think that if you want be sucessful against the advertising industry, you have to play them at their own game. This protest looks well-meaning but very low key.
    Perhaps they need to get few hundred thousand stickers and attack a famous landmark!

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  19. In the US they have just begun to ban tobacco advertising by schools, and it has been banned from the TV for years....but they advertise everything else under the sun, with children in mind.

    Actually, I can see why....we went to a multiplex theater for a movie recently with another couple, and it was over run with teenage kids. Where do they get the money to buy $12 monie tickets and all those snacks? My wife smuggled candy in her purse and we were still grumbling about the $24 in tickets, It seems kids here have a very large disposable income....


    Sean

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