Assignment 1

Question: 17

Submitted to : Mr. Gurdeepak Singh

Submitted by : Navdeep Singh (MBA 1 C)

Subject : Accounting for management

CORPORATE INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN

This topic throws light on the following grounds:

1. Introduction

2. Discussion

3. Conclusion

Introduction:

In order to understand corporate influence on children, we first need to understand what is a corporation?

Corporations in our economic system exist to provide a financial return to the people who own them. They are in business to make a profit, as individuals, those who work in (or even run) these companies might have other goals, too, when they turn their attention to public policy or education or anything else. But business is concerned principally about its own bottom line.

Now here, in this topic is discussed the influence of corporation on how childern are effected by various corporations such as education and entertainment, how they are using children as consumer for profit motive.

Discussion:

Corporate Influence in Education:

The education system has now turned into a hugely profitable business. From commercial-filled Channel One which many students must watch, to sponsored and selective educational material, the school system is bombarded by commercialism. Corporations, with only the profit-motive in mind, many businesses (ranging from regional companies to global behemoths) have infiltrated the public education system. This steady corruption of the education system has its beginnings as old as the system of factories and corporations itself. It continues to this day, with millions of young minds at risk. In order for the public education system to achieve a level of respectability and prowess that it could, corporate influence must be eradicated from it.

Children As Consumers:

"The Journal of the American Medical Association has said that children between the ages of two and seventeen watch an annual average of 15,000 to 18,000 hours of television, compared with 12,000 hours spent per year in school. Children are also major targets for TV advertising, whose impact is greater than usual because there is an apparent lessening of influence by parents and others in the older generation.

According to the [Committee on Communications of the American Academy of Pediatrics], children under the age of two should not watch television at all because at that age, brain development depends heavily on real human interactions. Nevertheless, $1 billion a year in spent on ads and commercials directed at children."

As well as children being targeted via the education system, there is increasing concern at ad campaigns that are increasingly targeting children to be consumers and overly conscious about materialistic things, perhaps even at the expense of human qualities. One of the main reasons for such a fascination in children in this way is because of the potential purchasing power that children have. "In my practice I see kids becoming incredibly consumerist," said Kanner, who is based at the Wright Institute, a graduate psychology school in Berkeley, Calif. "The most stark example is when I ask them what they want to do when they grow up. They all say they want to make money. When they talk about their friends, they talk about the clothes they wear, the designer labels they wear, not the person's human qualities."

The Entertainment Industry's Effect on Children:

The entire entertainment industry now has a tremendous influence on society. Whereas a few movie stars, musicians, and sports figures were the entertainment models for generations during the 20th century, today, the visual and auditory stimuli of the new media bombard most homes and communities. Some of this exposure is educational, positive, and directed at an appropriate level for young children. A considerable amount of current fare, however, is violent in nature, is provocative, and is presented in ways unsuitable for children’s level of maturity. With the rapid expansion of electronic transmission devices, young people are exposed more than ever to both good and bad influences.

The Internet is now the world’s largest source of information; it completely dwarfs even the world’s renowned libraries. The amount of information is extraordinary for today’s young people; it also carries great potential for misuse. For example, many primary-school-age children regularly “surf the ‘Net’ ” and tell about their findings.

Children and the Media:

Today, all members of our society are influenced both directly and indirectly by powerful media vehicles, including printed materials, television, sound recordings, and the Internet. Publicists, promoters, and sales personnel have at some point used all of these media to advocate what people should wear, what they should eat, and what values they should hold. Vivid colors and language tell us what is happening in the world and how to react to the events shown. Although much of our society’s media seems dominated by superficial chitchat, hyped news events, and depictions of violence, it is also a source of education, humor, and nonviolent entertainment. Just remember that the effect of media will vary with a child’s age and stage of development.

Print Materials:

The kind of books and other print media that children read and have read to them influences and supports their emotional, social, and intellectual development both directly and indirectly. Print materials, such as books, magazines, and newspapers, reach the child indirectly, through parents, caregivers, and teachers, and directly, such as when children participate in a library presentation or select particular publications to buy or borrow.

Television:

Television’s substantial impact on all growing children began in the 1950s with the proliferation of TV sets. Three generations of children have been raised with TV, and very different role models, interaction modes, and experiences are now visited on youth. Today, more than 99% of the households contain at least one television set, and children start the viewing process early even before they reach 2 years of age. Conservative estimates are that preschool children watch nearly 3.5 hours of TV per day and this average continues through age 18. In the 21st century, however, television viewing is becoming somewhat diminished because of increased use of computer games and the Internet, and also because children now spend more time in child-care, school, and after-school-care programs.

CORPORATE INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENT:

Below are some points which show how corporate influences pervade children’s lives- their homes, neighborhoods, communities, schools and entertainment:

• The impact of junk food & fast food on child health & nutritional status.

• The effects of the media (television, hip-hop & heavy metal music, celebrities).

• Fashion (dress related problem behavior such as competition, theft & violence).

• Illicit use of alcohol, tobacco or guns & youth risk behaviors.

• Commercialization of schools.

• Exposure to environmental, industrial & noise pollution.

• Challenging corporate influences on child development.

Conclusion:

Corporate influence and the public education system cannot co-exist. One, a powerful profit-driven entity, cares little for the well-being of others.

The second is meant to be an institution that provides each and every citizen the right to be able to analyze the world around them, in order to make conscientious decisions.

As the corporations exits for generating profit on one hand but they are also serving the society on the other hand.

Regards,

Navdeep (MBA 1 C)