Advertising on city buses is pretty common, but what about school buses? Those yellow monsters with the uncomfortable seats have traditionally been ad-free so as not to take advantage of the innocence
and naiveté of their impressionable occupants. Not anymore, at least not in Michigan, anyway. Two towns in the state recently contracted with InSight Media, a Pittsburgh company, to get ads on
buses serving thousands of Michigan's K-12 students. Other Michigan school districts are considering the move, including Detroit Public Schools, the state's largest district, which says it could put
ads in its 500 buses by fall. The main reason behind the move, not surprisingly, is to raise funds. However, advertising to students is a potential landmine and raises unique concerns. For example,
with school-bus ads, one child advocate is concerned about having ads about fast food and other products that might be harmful to children without the benefit of parental input. "A growing
perspective is that parental involvement is important in mediating what children see through explaining, educating, qualifying, etc., for their kids," said Cheryl Somers, an associate professor of
educational psychology at Wayne State University. Somers said because parents aren't on buses, the ads should be limited to wholesome messages such as those touting the importance of studying or
drinking water.
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