New York,
NY (June
9,
2003) --
Nothing says an afternoon at the movies more than tubs of buttered popcorn, coming attractions, and the excitement of the newest summer blockbuster. Now it looks like we have to add in the commercials shown before the movie starts. While many adults might long for the days when movie theaters were a “commercial-free zone,” one segment of the movie-going population — children — think advertisements actually
should be shown at the movies.
A recent online poll conducted by Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, asked students in grades 1 through 8 if commercials should be shown before movies. The majority,
83 percent, said they thought they should be, while only
17 percent felt that the movies is not the place for commercials. The online poll at Scholastic News Online (
www.scholastic.com/news), a leading source on the web for age-appropriate, daily news content for kids, was conducted from April 21 to 25, 2003, and received more than 41,000 responses.
Natalie K., age 11, from Wisconsin said, “I think that there should be commercials before movies. I feel this way because it is the perfect way to advertise a product or a movie that consumers would like. Even though commercials can be very annoying, it gives people a chance to do things like go to the bathroom or get something to eat.”
On the flip side,
Caitlin H., age 10, from Missouri said, “Sometimes commercials that are shown before movies can be bad because there might be an advertisement for a certain movie or product that parents don't want their kids to see.”
The Scholastic poll is not based on a scientifically designed sample of the student population. It is designed as an educational activity to encourage student thought and debate, and to give students an opportunity to express their opinions. The respondents are self-selected, based on teachers who want their classes to participate and students who want to participate individually.
Scholastic is the world's largest publisher of educational magazines for grades pre-K through 12. Scholastic News, grade-by-grade classroom magazines for grades 1-6, gives kids their own thought-provoking, interactive news weekly through which they can understand current events and relate them to their world. Junior Scholastic is a bimonthly current events magazine for grades 6-8. The magazines' online companion Scholastic News (
www.scholastic.com/news) is a free resource for teachers, parents and children that can be used in the classroom or at home to discuss current events and develop students' understanding of how national and international news affects their lives. Scholastic News Online special reports have won high praise from teachers for sensitive coverage of major breaking news.