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82% of Kids in 'Netflix Only' Homes Have No Idea What Commercials Are (exstreamist.com)

Posted by msmash on from the weird-studies dept.

Two anonymous readers share a report: We decided to survey parents of young children (below 10 years old) to see how many kids in "Netflix only" homes knew what commercials are, compared to those homes who watch regular television. We surveyed 100 parents (50 Netflix-only homes, 50 normal television homes), here were their responses: 82% of kids in Netflix only homes don't know what commercials are. 38% of kids in regular television homes don't know what commercials are.

12 of 301 comments (clear)

  1. Well... by Parker+Lewis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The same was true for cable TV when I was kid.

    1. Re:Well... by sudden.zero · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I beg to differ. I have many Beta and VHS tapes of the first days of Cable TV, and there are no commercials, at least not things other than shows, on any of the tapes. There were advertisements for other shows on MTV, but there aren't any ads for things like Food, Electronics, etc. They had what were called shorts, and these were clever little cartoons in-between shows, but not actual advertisements.

    2. Re:Well... by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 4, Informative

      The premium TV channels are still commercial free (except for some between-program ads for other shows/movies on the same channel; which are primarily used to fluff out movie times so they start/end at roundish numbers.)

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      Your ad here. Ask me how!
  2. Good or not? by Calydor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Without having commercials to teach you that companies consider you a never-ending open wallet, and that they WILL lie to you to get your money, will these Netflix-only kids grow up to be or more less naive about the honesty of other people and companies?

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    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
    1. Re:Good or not? by El+Cubano · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Without having commercials to teach you that companies consider you a never-ending open wallet

      You must not watch very many recent movies or television shows. They movies/shows have become the commercials: product placement.

      In same cases, the movies have essentially become mildly entertaining infomercials for kids (e.g,. the Lego movies). In other cases, the movie is a way to get kids to want the inevitable avalanche of associated merchandise. Kids didn't need commercials to know that they wanted the Frozen lunch box or the Cars backpack. To quote the wise Yogurt, "merchandising, it's all in the merchandising" (you will have to imagine the funny accent).

  3. I've forgotten too by hawguy · · Score: 5, Informative

    I haven't forgotten commercials entirely, but I've forgotten what they are like, and they are super annoying. Last time I stayed in a hotel, I flipped on TV and tried to watch a show -- I didn't make it past the first half of the show before I flipped off the TV and went to my laptop to watch Netflix because I couldn't stand the ads.

  4. Only Comment by darkain · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The only comment on the article's page is very accurate: "META: this article is a commercial for Netflix."

  5. On the other hand.. by ddtmm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    100% of kids in Netflix-only homes know what bit torrent is.

    1. Re:On the other hand.. by ichthus · · Score: 4, Funny

      And, 100% of kids in BitTorrent-only homes think they know what Netflix is.

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      sig: sauer
  6. Almost sounds like my kids by Agent0013 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My daughter has lived her six years with no cable television so far. While watching the Olympics last year on over the air signals she found the commercials to be her favorite part. When you never get to see them they are new and cool I guess.

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  7. YouTube is filled with ads... by Dzimas · · Score: 4, Informative

    YouTube videos are smothered in ads and kids experience them all the time. Netflix shows are also rife with subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) product placements. Live action shows feature massive luxury homes, Macbooks everywhere, fancy cars and shiny mobile phones. All that stuff acts to normalize expectations. It is brilliant and very effective marketing.

  8. Alternative headline? by asylumx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    38% of kids in regular television homes don't know what commercials are

    Isn't that the more surprising figure? 2/5 kids in a typical home (which has a TV which children watch ~24hrs/week) don't know what a commercial *is*. Oh, I see, the question was to the parents, "Do your kids know what commercials are?" -- This is a survey on parents' opinion about what their kids 'know'. The headline maybe should read "82% of Exstreamist readers who are parents in netflix-only homes think their kids don't know what commercials are" because technically that's all they've indicated.