Saturday 23 February 2019

Advertising to children in the schools




Children in India spent more than Rs 220 Billion, given to them as pocket money during 2016. This amount was more than the GDP of 52 small countries which included Maldives and Bhutan.  Cartoon channel Pogo had conducted a survey on the pocket money of the kids in the country. The ‘Turner New Generation 2016  study was conducted in all major cities and also places with more than 1 lakh population. This study had covered 6,690 respondents, including 7-14 year kids and parents of 4-14.

As per this study, 52% of the kids were receiving pocket money. The average pocket money received by the kids was Rs. 555/- per month. This amount had doubled over the last four years since a similar survey conducted by Pogo in 2012 had estimated the average pocket money of kids at Rs. 275/- per month then.  (https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/pocket-money-of-kids-in-india-more-than-gdp-of-52-countries-says-pogo-study/757331/ )

These children were not only buying products as toys, clothes, candy, and snacks but also saving up for big ticket purchases.  Children were found influencing the purchases made by their parents for microwave ovens (57%), washing machines (58%), refrigerators (62%), televisions (68%), mobiles (64%), cars (66%) and even the choices of travel destinations (78%); which may add up to at least Rs. 3000 Billion in parental purchases. 71 percent children had personal mobiles as well as other electronic gadgets with them. (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/spend/kids-pocket-money-up-100-since-2012-turner-international-india-study/articleshow/53238075.cms)

Children are buyers themselves, they are major influencers of their parents' purchases, and they are future adult consumers. As future adults, children are potential consumers for all goods and services. Children therefore attract many advertisers.

During the last 50 years, Indian children got their own foods/snacks and clothing brands and such high-ticket items as video games and other high-tech products besides dedicated TV networks.

New advertising strategies aimed at children steadily proliferate. Linking their products to educational goals, advertisers have reached into the schools by sponsoring such activities as literacy programmes, reading projects, anti-drug campaigns, and communication skills training, while rewarding students for good performance with coupons for products and free meals. In-school advertising and examples of in-school commercialism can be put into four categories:

  1.                 In-school ads that can be seen on hoardings, on school buses, on scoreboards, and in school galleries. In-school ads include ads on book covers. Advertising is also found in product coupons and in give-aways that are distributed in schools.
  2.                Ads in classroom materials include any commercial messages in printed materials or video programming used in school.
  3.                 Sponsored educational materials include free or low-cost items which can be used for instruction. These teaching aids may take the form of multimedia teaching kits, CDs/DVDs, software, books, posters, reproducible activity sheets, and workbooks.
  4.                Contests and incentive programs bring brand names into the schools along with the promise of such rewards as free pizzas, cash, and points toward buying educational equipment, or trips and other prizes.

Although some educators defend the use of commercially produced materials as a way of providing useful supplements to the curriculum or as a way of raising funds and building needed bridges to businesses, other educators oppose it, fearing that market values may, for the most part, take the place of democratic values in the schools. Those who defend the trend argue that commercialism is highly prevalent throughout our society and a bit more advertising in the schools should not adversely affect students. On the other hand, many educators do not want to participate in offering up students as a captive audience.

In dealing with the issues of in-school commercialism, a three-pronged approach may be considered:

  1.                 Reviewing all sponsored materials and activities and holding them to the same standards as other curriculum items.
  2.                 Pursuing non-commercial partnerships with businesses and rejecting the notion that it is ethical to bring advertising into the schools to provide materials or funds to bolster dwindling budgets.
  3.                 Beginning the teaching of media literacy in elementary school, to help educate children to be critical readers of advertising, propaganda, and other mass-mediated messages, while helping them gain the skills to be intelligent, aware consumers.

With the expanding presence of advertising targeted to younger and younger children, schools have become involved in serving up students as captive audiences to advertisers. It is time to pause and reflect on the appropriateness of various kinds of connections between businesses and schools, and the influence those connections might have on the integrity of education in a democracy. Although traditionally there have been links between business and education in this country, commercialism in schools has recently skyrocketed. The overall goal of collaboration between businesses and schools should be for business leaders, educators, parents, and government officials to work together "...to embrace practical, responsible approaches that will protect the educational integrity of our school systems."  
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Thursday 21 February 2019

Reprobate, does it again?




Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted that “Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva” ideology is dividing the country and said India needs unity, not uniformity. Being born to Hindu parents and writing a book titled “Why I am a Hindu” does not make him “pro-India” or “pro-Hindu.”

Few days ago, this Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram mocked Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath’s holy dip in the Sangam at Prayagraj and posted on twitter, "Ganga bhi swachh rakhni hain, aur paap bhi yahi dhone hain. Iss Sangam mein sab nange hain. Jai Ganga Maiya ki! (Ganga has to be kept clean and sins also have to be washed there. In this Sangam everyone is naked. Hail Goddess Ganga!).

Being a politician and a parliamentarian and spewing hatred against Hindus does not make one "pro-India." Rather, it makes one a Hindu-hater. Will the "pro-India" politician listen to the SOS messages coming from the people he claims to represent in Kerala? Probably not. In all likelihood, he will just continue pushing his anti-Hindu agenda as Hindus in Kerala continue to see their temples, rituals, beliefs and faith being stomped by their own government.

The real "pro-India" people are those who are willing to raise their voices against the mistreatment of Hindus at the hands of their atheist or non-Hindu brothers in Kerala. The real "pro-India" leaders are those who are prepared to defend the rights of Muslim women and girls facing the violation of their Human rights at the hands of Indian-Muslims. The real "pro-India" politicians are those that are prepared to advocate for democracy and free speech for all their party-workers living under the repressive regime of the dynasty in Indian National Congress. The real "pro-India" intellectuals are those who are prepared to condemn Indians for their racist and discriminatory measures against Hindu-Indians, living and dead.

Hindus should show mercy and forgive Tharoor for his ignorance and disregard his irreverence and sanctify him in the true spirit of Hindutva,ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय।, तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय।, मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय।, ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥” - Om asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor mā amṛtaṃ gamaya, Om shanti~ shanti~ shanti hi~~” (from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad -1.2.28).  [This translates to: Om, from falsehood, lead me to truth, from darkness lead me to the light, from death lead me to immortality, Om peace, peace, peace (Peace in three states of life- physical mental spiritual)]

Born in UK, having spent most years of life away from India, and receiving education mostly at Christian institutions, might have given Tharoor proficiency in English language but could not have educated him about “Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva” ideology. He claims to be carrying a “Shiv-Lingum” in his pocket so as not be called "Hindu-phobic" for his misplaced "political correctness."

Pitying his ignorance, Tharoor may be consecrated in the language he is likely to be more familiar with – “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (From the Bible, Miles Coverdale's Version, Luke 23:34, 1535). 
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Tuesday 19 February 2019

Democracy echoes majority of feeling, not thinking




Elections are always about human feelings, desires, aspirations and choices and not about human rationality. Elections are about political liberalism which enshrines that voter knows the best.

If democracy were a matter of rational decision-making, there would be absolutely no reason to give all people equal voting rights – or perhaps any voting rights. There is ample evidence that some people are far more knowledgeable and rational than others.

Any search or expectation for rationality in the political discourse or democratic actions is irrational by default.

Gathering knowledge and understanding of the dominant irrationality of the majority and making a rational use of such knowledge is the foundation for political success in democracy.

This is what makes the data from social-media such precious commodity.

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Wednesday 13 February 2019

Universal Basic Income




There are media reports about NaMo government planning to introduce a universal basic income scheme before the Lok Sabha election due in next 90 days. [see- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/universal-basic-income-modi-government-1418711-2018-12-28 and https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/doling-out-a-universal-basic-income-scheme-may-be-narendra-modis-best-chance-to-win-2019-mandate/articleshow/67236374.cms]. Rahul Gandhi has tried to pre-empt the same and clinch the first mover advantage by promising something on similar lines, called the “minimum income guarantee,” if voted to power [see- https://www.news18.com/news/india/rahul-gandhis-minimum-income-guarantee-vs-narendra-modis-universal-basic-income-what-it-means-for-you-2016963.html ] 

Sikkim is the smallest state in India.  Its ruling party has announced an ambitious plan to implement a universal basic income for every one of its 610,577 citizens by 2022. [see- https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/tiny-indian-state-sikkim-runs-biggest-assured-income-experiment-foreign-media-1980444 and https://futurism.com/india-launching-largest-basic-income-experiment ]

Opinion against the UBI scheme or words of caution have also started flowing in. [see- https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/opinion-universal-basic-income-scheme-may-not-be-right-for-india-story-1548005316639.html]

UBI proposes that governments tax the billionaires and corporations and use the money to provide every person with a generous stipend covering his or her basic needs. This will cushion the poor against lack of jobs or loss of employment and economic dislocation, while protecting the rich from the populist rage. It is debatable whether it is better to provide people with universal basic income (the capitalist paradise) or universal basic services (the communist paradise).

India has experimented with subsiding healthcare, education, transport and so forth. The system leaked, the quality of service delivered continued to spiral down and not everyone got access.  By giving money to people, who then shop around for whatever they want, how do we know that they would be responsible shoppers for fulfilling their basic needs?

Further, the money they spend would travel back to the same coffers of those very billionaires and corporations from whom it came to the government, because only they would be the providers of fulfillment of basic needs. The real purpose of UBI capitalism is to extract value from the economy and deliver it to those at the top.

The plan is no gift to the masses, but a tool for our further enslavement. UBI really just turns us from stakeholders or even citizens to mere consumers.

In the quest for choosing a utopian vision for the country, no matter which paradise the politicians want to create, no one knows the meaning of ‘universal’ and ‘basic.’

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