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Taking Action! of little importance to big corporations. Sarah Jones However, there is power in numbers and Every time a person makes decisions about the more people who boycott, the heavier how and where to spend money, s/he is the influence on the organization being exercising his/her power as a consumer. boycotted. Boycotting gives teens a way to There are several ways that teens can protest and state their beliefs. If they speak out against consumerism, raise boycott something, others may become awareness about consumerist media interested and take up the cause. messages, and make a difference in the way companies operate. Complaint Power Complaint power is another way in which Boycott Power consumers can influence companies to A boycott is the decision to abstain from change their practices. This method buying or dealing with a particular involves talking to a company directly, organization as a form of protest and/or either by phone, e-mail, or letter. Shari means of coercion. Teens may think that if Graydon suggests that writing a letter is the they boycott a particular product or best method of contacting a company company, their actions will make no because it is harder to throw away or difference because individually, each teen is ignore than an e-mail or phone message. A letter also takes more time than an email or phone call, indicating that the writer is serious about the message (Graydon 87). Again, there is always power in numbers, so the more letters a company receives; the more serious it will take the complaint. Companies realize that for every person who phones, emails, or writes a letter, there are at least hundreds more who share the same sentiments (Graydon 91). 12 Waysto make companieslisten{adapted rorn Graydon): Tellthe company that you wouldlike a Tell the company that you use ahd enjoy written response to your concerns. itsproduct(s) or service(s). This will make yotJtopinionstand out rnore \ /0 � / VI betauseyouareav�lued -- customer. opinions, and those in charge willbe more Let the company know that you likely to come up with a solution tothe feelthat its business practices, problem. ethics, advertisements, etc. are · You may want to give your age when problematic. If you clearlyand politely making a complaint Many companies state your opinion, th¢ company is more value their teen markets, and your age Hkelyto pay attention to your comments. may draw some attention to the State that you will boycott the company's complaint prodllct(s)C>rservice(s)a.s long c;isthey If you are dealing with an advertisement, · continue with the actions that you disagree with. This shows th� company the company and the media "host," for that itsaqions are affectingbusiness. example, the TV station or newspaper tha Indicatethat you will encourage others to ran the addt may also be a good idea to followyourlead in boycotting the send complaintsto the organization in product(s) or service(s). your country thatmonitors advertising. Ethical Consumerism children in sweatshops. Others may choose Teens can make the choice to buy from and to buy only fair-trade coffee. The British­ support companies that show a based organization Ethical Consumer commitment and adherence to certain outlines the various ways that individuals ethical standards. For example, teens may can buy ethically. Teens can practice ethical choose not to buy from companies that consumerism through positive buying, produce clothes by employing favouring ethical products, or they 13 can use negative purchasing, which entails refusing to buy unethical products (Ethical Consumer). Teens can research companies and issues on the web, and also learn to ask the appropriate questions when making purchases. Useftd Canadian Webpages: <http:l/www.cbc.ca/streetcents/> <hitfa://w��.•oXfarn.C:a/> The Ca nadian Broadcasting Corporation's Street tents is ah award-wirmlng .television · ''Campaigns''.•• provides.•.• information·•about prograllifor youth alJ.oufconsumeris m/ various issues in ethical consumerism and marketing, and pbpt.ilar culture .. The initiatives to make C:hange. Oxfam television show·and its website give teens campaigns strive to get people involvedi 1 the opportunity.tovoicetheiropihiohs educating, petitioning, raising and about various products and companies, o u awareness fiss es1 such as sweatshop while also educating their audience about labour and fair trade. various products and encouraging critical thinking about what they see inthe rnedia. 14 awareness of, consumer practices. Buy Culture Jamming Nothing Day is part of the larger culture­ Culture jamming is "the practice of jamming movement which aims to reduce parodying advertisements and hijacking consumption, make people aware of the billboards in order to drastically alter their advertisements and media messages that messages11 (Klein 280). The parodies often we are bombarded with on a daily basis, send counter-messages using the and increase awareness about how company1s own methods of communication. consumer behaviour is deeply ingrained in This attaches a different meaning to the us. Originating in Vancouver, Buy Nothing same medium that the company has put Day is now practiced world-wide on much time and money into creating, thus November 28th, coinciding with American subverting it. An increasing number of Thanksgiving, a huge shopping day in the activists are rejecting the messages of U.S. when hordes of consumers crowd into consumerism that are found everywhere in stores looking for bargains (Edelman 64). our public space through culture jamming (Klein 282). The BND website suggests various activities to do on Buy Nothing Day Adbusters, otherwise known as Culture including taking out print ads and Jammers Headquarters, organizes many organizing TV spots to advertise the day, culture jamming campaigns. Some of the setting up a Credit Card Cut-Up Booth more recognizable Adbusters campaigns outside a major retail area, and walking up are Buy Nothing Day, Antipreneur, and TV and down the aisles of Walmart with an Turnoff. empty cart. The website also has free downloads for posters, t-shirts, stickers, Buy Nothing Day and web-banners to promote BND. Buy Nothing Day (BND) was created by the Adbusters Media Foundation in the early Buy Nothing Christmas takes BND into 1990s to encourage reflection on, and December, by encouraging people to spend 15 more time with each other while spending produced in a Portuguese union shop and less money. The website offers printable has a 100% recycled tire sole. The Gift-Exemption vouchers to help with the Blackspot Sneaker campaign aims to offer awkwardness that Buy Nothing Christmas an alternative that "promotes ethics over may create. profit, values over image, idealism over hype." Antipreneur The idea behind Adbusters' Antipreneur Adbusters hopes to spread the Blackspot campaign is that activists can fight campaign to other industries such as corporations with what they fear most, music, restaurants, and other clothing. competition. The first initiative of this campaign has been the Blackspot sneaker, which is "the world's first global anti-brand". The shoe is made from organic hemp 16 TV Turnoff have embraced the DIY music scene put on TV Turnoff runs during the last week of their own shows, make their own fliers, April. According to the Adbusters website, and play shows at their houses or in non­ it is about "cleaning up the mental commercial buildings of their youth environment" and taking a stand against communities. the "distorted news, manipulative ads, violence and top-down culture" found on DIY can also refer to making one's own television. clothes. Stitch 'N' Bitch is a recent movement which has brought knitting back into popularity among women of all ages. Teenagers have embraced this knitting movement as a way to create funky, one­ of-a-kind clothes while visiting and spending time with other knitters. The Stitch 'N' Bitch books, written by Debbie Stoller, give information on knitting and DIV encourage people to form their own The DIY or Do-It-Yourself movement can groups. be practiced by teens as a rejection of consumerism. DIY promotes the idea of Libraries can accommodate teen interests making things for oneself instead of in DIY activities by having strong purchasing them. It can refer to making collections of craft and DIY books, in and producing one's own music without addition to providing teen programming mainstream success, and "is located that caters to the DIY interests of their YA somewhere between teen political activism population. and the surly pubescent hardcore music fandom of yore" (Quart 208). Teens who 17 Works Cited "Antipreneur" Adbusters Media Foundation. Quart, Alissa. Branded: The Buying and <http://adbusters.org/metas/ Selling of Teenagers. Cambridge, politico/antipreneur/> Mass: Perseus Publication, 2003. "Buy Nothing Day - Adbusters "TV Turnoff 2005" Adbusters Media Culturejammers" Adbusters Media Foundation. <http:II Foundation. <http:// www.ad busters. org/metas/psycho/ www.adbusters.org/metas/ eco/bnd/ Murnoff/> index.html> Edelman, Karen A. "Conspicuous Nonconsumption". Across the Board. 34.10 (1997):64. 'Ethical Consumer." Ethical Consumer Research Association. <http:// www.ethicalconsumer.org/> Klein, Naomi. No Space, no Choice, no Job, no Logo: Taking Aim at Brand Name Bullies. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2000. 18 Some DIV Resources interspersed throughout the book. The text informs· the reader why s/he should knit, Readyl\t1e1cle Magazine <http:// and provides· instructions on· how to set up your own Stitch 'N'Bitch group.The books provide fun and hippatterns that appeal to This is a monthly magazine With C3 variety teens.· Photographs give teens an idea of ofJdeas for people who like to make things. the variety of clothing and accessories they While some ideas such as hqme-decorc:tting can make with a set of knitting needles and may not b� of primary interest toteens, the some yarn. Very fun! magazine· provides a wlde array of ideas of teen interest with accompanying instructions, from making your own jewelleryto planting a tree! Stoller, Debbie l.
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