Comments on: Are the French on to Something By Banning TV for Babies? http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/08/20/are-the-french-on-to-something-by-banning-tv-for-babies/4740 Nielsen TV Show Ratings, Data and More Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:38:16 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mikey http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/08/20/are-the-french-on-to-something-by-banning-tv-for-babies/4740#comment-15025 Mikey Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:48:23 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4740#comment-15025 My opinion is that Nielsen should stop issuing ratings statistics for kids ages 2-5. It's not appropriate for kids that age to be targeted by marketers.<br><br>I think the evidence on the effect of very young kids watching TV is inconclusive at best. I'm not at all convinced that the act of watching TV itself is necessarily a bad thing, and in moderation it can actually be useful. It's the commercialization that I think is troubling.<br><br>If we stop issuing ratings for toddler-age kids we can't stop marketers from continuing to target them, but at least we can say that as an industry we don't acknowledge three year olds as part of a consumer marketplace. I think that would be a healthy step.<br><br>I also recognize the chances of this happening are about equal to the chances of me swimming from New York to Australia. My opinion is that Nielsen should stop issuing ratings statistics for kids ages 2-5. It's not appropriate for kids that age to be targeted by marketers.

I think the evidence on the effect of very young kids watching TV is inconclusive at best. I'm not at all convinced that the act of watching TV itself is necessarily a bad thing, and in moderation it can actually be useful. It's the commercialization that I think is troubling.

If we stop issuing ratings for toddler-age kids we can't stop marketers from continuing to target them, but at least we can say that as an industry we don't acknowledge three year olds as part of a consumer marketplace. I think that would be a healthy step.

I also recognize the chances of this happening are about equal to the chances of me swimming from New York to Australia.

]]> By: angelscrest http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/08/20/are-the-french-on-to-something-by-banning-tv-for-babies/4740#comment-14981 angelscrest Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:48:32 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4740#comment-14981 Robert<br><br>Actually, that seems worse to me. People are going to use TV as a baby sitter no matter what! <br><br>Wouldn't you rather have them watching age appropriate content? Robert

Actually, that seems worse to me. People are going to use TV as a baby sitter no matter what!

Wouldn't you rather have them watching age appropriate content?

]]> By: Robert Seidman http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/08/20/are-the-french-on-to-something-by-banning-tv-for-babies/4740#comment-14932 Robert Seidman Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:36:18 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4740#comment-14932 Anglecrest, I believe the ban is on broadcasting programming *designed* for babies, and not a ban on putting babies in view of TVs. Anglecrest, I believe the ban is on broadcasting programming *designed* for babies, and not a ban on putting babies in view of TVs.

]]> By: angelscrest http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/08/20/are-the-french-on-to-something-by-banning-tv-for-babies/4740#comment-14931 angelscrest Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:31:19 +0000 http://tvbythenumbers.com/?p=4740#comment-14931 This sounds a little totalitarian to me.<br><br>What are they going to do: come into people's home and check to be sure that babies aren't in the room when the TV is on? <br><br>Or are they going to do something more Orwellean and install cameras in everyone's home to watch what is going on?<br><br>Big Brother is Watching! This sounds a little totalitarian to me.

What are they going to do: come into people's home and check to be sure that babies aren't in the room when the TV is on?

Or are they going to do something more Orwellean and install cameras in everyone's home to watch what is going on?

Big Brother is Watching!

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