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The various forms of advertising in schools put an undue amount of stress on teachers. For example, suppliers of computers for public schools require students to take time for market research surveys (6). It is absurd for teachers to have to allow students to complete a 15 minute long survey on their favorite types of jeans and clothing brands during class instructional time. In exchange for credits on new gym equipment, some teachers allowed the fast food clown Ronald McDonald to make multiple appearances in their classroom (1). Also, many teachers around the country have been mailed curriculum packets from Hershey’s that is supposed to teach about the making of chocolate and chocolate’s prominent place in a healthy lifestyle (5). Teachers are mailed an average of 77 types of these kits each year (5). With nearly half of these packages found to be highly commercial, 88% highly biased, teachers have too much commercialized fluff to sift through in order to find a quality curriculum kit (5).


Teachers are not the only ones that are effected by advertising. Parents as well are starting to feel the strain. If students bring in General Mills boxtops, the school earn freebies (6). Thus, schools pressure students to buy General Mills, who in turn pressure their parents into buying General Mills, which is exactly what General Mills had planned. Instead of packing a lunch on a field trip for 4th graders, parents were asked to send money for a McDonalds lunch as a “reward for making it through a long day at the museum.” (3). Health class practically preaches healthy lifestyle choices to students, yet we send them to one of the fattest restaurants in the country as a “reward”. Scholastic Books sends a monthly book magazine to schools, advertising more than just books; it includes the latest video games and television shows (1). Also, schools participate in corporate sponsored incentive programs, such as selling wrapping paper or cookie dough (6). Parents are made to feel that their child is required to generate a certain amount of money from these programs, and usually spend an abnormal amount of money for a huge amount of wrapping paper or magazine subscriptions. When all of this is taken into consideration, it is easy to see how parents spend an extra 60 billion a year due to the influence from children and the advertisemtns they see at school.


While teachers and parents feel the effects of ads, the group most effected by this situation is the students. Big soda companies pay big dollars to put in unhealthy soda machines in every corner (2). According to a survey taken by CorporateWatchdogs, 17.1% of students said they didn’t want advertising in school. In 2008, that number has risen to over 26% (4). Also, Over the past 7 years, the number of students who thought that advertising in schools was perfectly fine has declined from 11% to 9% (4). Students are becoming more aware of the advertising that is taking place and more students are saying they want it gone. According to Mark Obrien, a professor at UC Davis, “Young people are smart and savvy, and they know when you are trying to market to them…but young people hate a lack of choice.” (4) Obrien is referring to a lack of choice when it comes to the types of advertising in public schools. The worst types of ads are those that are unavoidable, like a giant billboard for example. These billboard style ads are the most predominant types of ads found in public schools. Therefore, every time a student looks up to see the score of the basketball game or walks down a hall with a vending machine, he has no choice but to be marketed to.