Children's programmes safe? Think again!

Often, if I let my child watch a children’s tv programme, I’ll watch it with her. What I have noticed with the adverts being shown is actually quite worrying. 

 

In the beginning I assumed it was just some faulty algorithm that every now and then it would show the wrong advert. What I’ve come to now realise is these adverts are deliberate and consistent. 

 

Let me tell you about some of the adverts that have sprung up before my child’s eyes. 

 

One advert featured some people video chatting about the ‘dark web’. The camera then cuts to a scene where some girl is chained in a dungeon being tortured, highlighting that this is going on live somewhere. It then promotes the name of the new horror movie. I made sure my child didn’t see it, but had I not been there, that is exactly that kind of thing to trigger nightmares! 

 

Another one featured a child’s bedroom, then from under the bed came a fat brown blobby monster (not a cute cuddly kind), but it looked repulsive and down right scary. I wasn’t even sure what it was promoting, I just skipped it.

 

Another advert featured a series of adults suffering from various mental disorders, such as depression etc - talk about glum!

 

Another advert  was for a children’s charity and featured children suffering from cancer at it’s various stages, it was graphic and made you change your mood from happy to sorrowful and almost guilty if you didn’t part with your money. 

 

These are just a few examples, I could go on, but you get my point.

 

Of all the millions of adverts out there, that would be no problem to show on a children’s TV programme, why these!?

 

As I said, I believe this is deliberate and coordinated.

 

Put your critical thinking cap on and let’s work out why, here are my thoughts…

 

Reason 1 - Money, money, money

 

It could be for these channels to push parents into their subscription based channels, where you pay a monthly fee without having adverts shown. This may give parents peace of mind that nothing sinister is going to pop up when they turn their backs. If this is true, then media companies haven’t considered the lasting effects on children's minds these adverts can have, it only takes one trigger nightmares.

 

Reason 2 - Corruption, desensitisation & deception.

 

They are purposely corrupting and desensitising children’s minds. This would mean a worldwide conspiracy is involved and would have a higher purpose. When you see who owns the big media channels you see that it’s the same tribe of people with the same agenda, then this conspiracy isn’t so hard to believe. It’s quite chilling when you realise many of the worlds companies are owned by the same people.

 

 

Reason 3 - It's just me.

 

My experiences are a one off. It could be that I consistently get these types of adverts mistakenly. Well, I did further investigation on this and it seems that I’m not a one off. Now, I have just realised it was featured in the BBC news and other articles have been written on this. So then, this wouldn't be a reason... I will leave some links below about this.

 

It seems my determination to write this article is echoed in many well established news organisations and blog pages. It is agreed then, that there really is something sinister going on. 

 

We know that subtle messages of propaganda is rife in children’s tv shows as it is in many books, but when combined with these distressing adverts it makes it a whole lot worse…

 

 

So what to do? 

 

1. Make sure that are with your child when watching programmes, that way you can switch it off as soon as you know it’s inappropriate. Don’t trust any of them.
2. Don’t use these media services at all and replace that time with something else. There are plenty of toys and other devices that can keep a child engaged, and that is more safe. 
3. If a video, film or alike take time in vetting the content before your child views it, you’d be surprised how many things could crop up that demand you to bin it. 

 

This article on the ‘Medium’ website, titled 'Something is wrong on the internet', I believe is the best one, the writer really hits the nail on the head, so definitely read it. Let's hope media providers get their acts together, or they will see serious drops in the audience numbers and some very angry parents to answer to...