Eng 103: Critical Thinking

Professor Stansbury The Harms of Corporate Sponsorship

For schools that face shrinking budgets, a branded scoreboard on the football field or advertisement on a school bus can bring some much needed cash. Even though the schools are receiving the necessary funds needed there are possible consequences because corporate sponsorships can also undermine students’ critical thinking skills, increase health risk, could influence decisions on malleable young brains, and can be a distraction. Nothing in this life is free and everything comes with a price.

Commercialism can discourage students from thinking critically about the brands, messages or topics sponsored in their schools. Moore argues that the students insight to the various products is the also an important key other than just having the school advertise (Moore 135). When corporations enter the schools, there is going to be pressure to create student experiences and shape student attitudes in ways that support, or at least do not undermine, the corporation bottom line. The companies seem to be influencing their products to malleable minds that can be per swayed to consume or buying products that are not in their best interest. In Kansas, Moore brings up that a marketing company conducts research during school hours having the children answer survey questionnaire (Moore 135). Moore has a point children should not be interrupted during school hours to answer irrelevant marketing questions that in the long run do not benefit the student. These interruptions are distractions to what a student should really be focusing on during class time. This type of advertising does not breed deep thinkers rather it inhibits self-thought because the company is obviously pushing for their idea.

Corporate America’s commercialism does not only affect the malleable minds of young teens, but directly harms them health wise. Moore clearly indicates the kind of companies that are most interested in schools obviously target a market specifically for young consumers. He argues America wonders why children are so over weight when two hundred and forty schools sold their rights to the biggest soda companies Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper (Moore 133). Access is the key to consumption because the more available it is to someone it will lead to more consumption. For example, their came a point when my dad was consuming too much soda; therefore he told my mom not to buy any more soda. Soda became less accessible as a result my dad’s soda consumption decreased. He is too lazy to go to ever step in store just to get soda. The result that it was less accessible, thus lead to less consumption. Same for children if it is not provided on school grounds it will be harder to consume it. Moore gave an example how Columbine High School allowed a class on the science of carbonated soda of Pepsi in trade for Pepsi’s contribution to the building of the schools new stadium (Moore 134). By the description that Moore gives it does not sound like a science class, but a consumer research class on Pepsi. Soda is highly addictive because of the caffeine it contains and to have a class where they sample sodas it’s no wonder why kids are gaining so much weight. These soda companies are not going to give a negative aspect of soda in these classes, but of course use this to market to their consumers knowing that children are the best target. The overall amounts of children are highly addicted to sugar and will choose a sweet cold Pepsi over milk any day.

Corporate America, being in control of what is advertised around schools where children’s form of thought is at its most developing stage seems to influence a predisposed decision. Nicholas Carr, reflects on a scene from a film that gave him haunting feelings of the main character comparing himself to a robot and that humans thoughts and feelings were scripted. He describes how the human figures in the film live in a robotic function not questioning anything and simply do what their told (Carr 7). Children in the same way are being trained at this age their minds are malleable and what better breeding ground for Corporate America since these kids are the future decision makers. Corporate America knows that humans are best influenced at a young age and will carry these ideals until they are older. Carr stresses the point that companies feed off of every opportunity too “feed” us advertisement and going on to say that human brain is almost infinitely malleable, thus being able to be constantly molded (Carr 4 and 6). Children are like sponges they absorb everything around their environment; therefore exposing children to the ideals of Corporate America is a like creating an assembly of robots in similar factory settings. Corporations are masking their ulterior motives with supposed act of generosity when in reality their underlying motive is to influence the malleable minds of the youth to pre-planned decisions in consumption. Reinforcement of constant ideas or products especially at a young age will influence and impact malleable mind’s of children who are the main consumers of commercialism.

Advertisements and surveys in a school environment can be a distraction to young children because these things take away time from what they should be focusing on. Moore gives various examples were private organizations that fund the schools such GM incorporate their logo through television and Internet that is beamed at children constantly (Moore 135). These surveys and advertisements they play in class is unnecessary to what children our really there for. Corporations take advantage of the fact schools have to give them some sort of compensation so that can benefit too. Carr points out how the internet is flooded with distractions that these companies place in order to get their message across, it’s in their economic benefit to not allow us to deep concentration, and it is financially in their interest to collect the crumbs data we leave behind that they could analyze for their benefit (Carr 6). Human beings can only hold interest on a subject of uninterested for so long. The internet comes with many distractions because of all the advertisements and easy access to websites it has decreased ability to fully concentrate since it is easy to get carried away. Distractions take away from being able to fully concentrate and of course children would rather focus on something of more interest. Companies distract children for their benefit when they have the schools take surveys that benefit them just to find better ways of targeting their audience.

Accepting the much needed money from Corporate America might not seem like a bad idea at them time, but at what cost is affecting the our student. A phrase that always comes to mind is nothing in life is free. Corporate America generosity comes with hidden cost because they give to receive at bigger expense to the student. By the schools allowing Corporate America to be part influential decision making is an environment such as a factory in were the children do what their told and do not critically thinking for themselves. Commercialism is built around consumers buying things that are of no need to them and not the best option for their health. Children are at the main targets for corporations because they are the future decision makers and have power over their parents spending. If corporations can mold their malleable minds they can increase their revenue and increase their target on audience. Even though Corporate America gives certain amount of funds it comes with restrictions and ulterior motives that affect the student’s deep thinking, nutrition, influences their minds, and causes distractions.

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. Is Google Making Us Stupid. N.p.: Atlantic, 2008. Print.

Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Boston: Bedford of St. Martin’s, 1992. Print.