Market Research In Schools

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Market Research In Schools

Danielle Lebens
Philosophy
Moreau
Writing assignment 2
In the article Schools Profit From Offering Pupils for Market Research, Mary Tabor explains the new relationship between schools and businesses. During the school day, businesses use children as willing subjects of market research. They do such things as taste tests and answer opinion polls. This is a difficult subject to pick a definite side on, because both sides have good arguments. This paper will explain both sides and come up with a solution.
Almost anyone will agree that exploiting children is bad. Students are in school to learn and taking polls and taste tests are in no way an education. Through this market research, the companies are merely trying to find an easier way to target children. This situation is similar to the calls that people get at home. It is dinnertime and the phone rings. Mom jumps up from the dinner table and answers the phone. It is a market research firm and they would like to ask Mom a few questions. Mom is angered by the call and hangs up. This is a prime example of market research and the inconvenience it causes. Advertisers realize that schools are the perfect places to develop new markets. Kids can not hang up the phone or change the channel. Schools used to be the only place where children were not targeted. Children are entitled to have a place where they can feel no one will be trying to sell them something. If children are constantly exposed to this kind of market research they will begin to think that their education is not important. They will not be able to focus in class, because they will be waiting for the next poll or taste test. This is detrimental to do during class time.
It is commendable that the school asked the parents for permission before letting the companies come in to do their research. Unfortunately, this market research has opened the doors to other marketing. Direct marketing to kids has already begun in some schools. Kids in elementary school and high school walk around with Nestle and Calvin Klein book covers. Soon students will be sitting in Pepsi owned chairs, at Pizza Hut desks, with Oreo school bags, looking at a Campbell's chalkboard. As funny as this may sound, it is a definite possibility. According to a recent Time magazine article, the district administrators in Plymouth, Mich. are considering auctioning school names to the highest bidding corporation. Imagine sending kids off to McDonald's Elementary or...

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