The Child Welfare League Foundation recently announced the results of a study which revealed that the average Taiwanese schoolchild watches over 33,000 TV ads per year, with almost 10,000 of them for food and drink products. A food-related ad is screened on average every 6.6 minutes and almost 28 percent of the children surveyed said that after seeing an ad for a product they are tempted to go out and buy it.
The study showed that 38.7 percent of children drink at least one bottled drink per day which is equivalent to one in every 2.6 children. This makes Taiwanese children the world’s fourth highest bottled drink consumers, after Bulgaria (49.5 percent), Israel (41 percent), and the tiny Mediterranean island nation of Malta (39 percent) but far ahead of the USA and France at 32 percent and 22 percent respectively.
The foundation urged the government to pass a law preventing broadcasters from screening junk food ads during programs aimed at children, and also called for regulations to limit the frequency and monitor the content of such ads.
Photo: Reuters
The foundation typically receives a lot of complaints du-ring the summer vacation from parents who object that junk food ads during children’s programs are having a bad effect on the their children. Over an eight day period, the foundation recorded the number of junk food ads at the times when children are most likely to tune in to watch their favorite cartoons (Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7pm and Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 1pm). They also monitored 19 other cartoons popular with children, including One Piece, Sponge Bob, New Detective Conan, Chibi Maruko Chan and Doraemon.
The foundation discovered that for every hour of programming there was an average of 8.8 food and drink ads which is equal to 27.2 percent of all commercials. The figure leaps to 9.9 ads per hour during school holidays, represen-ting 34 percent of the total. The majority of such ads were for drinks (40 percent), followed by fast food restaurants and snack foods.
The foundation interviewed fourth to sixth graders in the cities and counties of Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan and Tai-chung in September and October. The survey found that 74 percent of respondents often saw ads for snack foods, drinks and fast food restaurants when watching TV, and 28 percent said they were likely to want to buy the products after seeing the ads.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
兒童福利聯盟近日公布調查指出，國內學童一年平均看三萬三千個以上的廣告，近萬個是食物廣告。電視上平均每六點六分鐘就有一次食物廣告，而約有兩成八的兒童坦言，會因看了零食廣告就想買來吃！
兒盟調查發現，高達三十八點七％的兒童一天至少喝一瓶飲料，等於每二點六個孩子就有一個天天喝飲料，高居世界第四，僅次於保加利亞（四十九點五％）、以色列（四十一％），和地中海迷你島國「馬爾他」（三十九％）；更遠高於美國（三十二％）和法國（二十二％）。
兒盟呼籲政府比照他國，立法禁止在兒童收視的熱門時段播放垃圾食物廣告，並限制其播放頻率及監看內容。
兒盟暑假期間連續接獲家長反映兒童節目時段太多垃圾食物廣告，對孩子的認知有負面影響。兒盟以八天為期，選擇兒童最常收視的熱門卡通節目時段（週一至週五下午五點到七點、週六與週日中午十二點到下午一點），進行食物廣告檢視；另檢視航海王、海綿寶寶、新名偵探柯南、櫻桃小丸子、哆啦Ａ夢等十九個熱門卡通節目。
兒盟發現，平日食物廣告平均每小時出現八點八次，佔所有廣告的二十七點二％；假日食物廣告平均每小時出現九點九次，佔所有廣告三十四％。其中又以飲料類佔四成最高，速食店廣告、零食廣告次之。
兒盟九、十月間，另針對台北縣市、高雄縣市、台南縣市、台中縣市的國小四到六年級學童發放問卷。調查顯示，七成四的孩子表示，看電視時常會看到零食、飲料、速食店廣告，兩成八坦言，看了零食廣告很可能會想去買來吃。
（自由時報記者謝文華）
A: Apart from Taiwanese-language pop diva Jody Chiang’s comeback, South Korean girl group (G)I-dle is also performing in Taiwan this weekend. B: I know. They have concerts at the Taipei Arena on Saturday and Sunday. A: Actually, to meet their fans’ high demand, they’ve added one more show on Friday. B: They’re even adding a show? That shows how popular they are. A: My favorite group member is Taiwan’s Susan Yeh, known by her stage name “Shuhua.” Let’s go cheer her on. A: 本週末除了江蕙復出，南韓熱門女團(G)I-dle也將開唱唷。 B: 我知道，他們本週六、日將在小巨蛋開唱。 A: 應粉絲的要求，他們本週五還會加場。 B: 還加場？不愧是韓流人氣女團。 A: 我最喜歡台灣團員葉舒華！我們快去幫她加油吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Grenada’s Underwater Sculpture Park is a great example of how art can be combined with environmental conservation. __1__ on the ocean floor of the Caribbean Sea, this aquatic gallery was the brainchild of British sculptor and ecologist Jason deCaires Taylor in 2006. The park features sculptures that function as man-made coral reefs, with holes and shelters to attract marine life, thus forming a strikingly beautiful __2__. The sculptures are placed in a way that diverts visitors from nearby natural reefs. This creative approach to ecological preservation demonstrates how art can inspire, educate, and contribute to the sustainability of our environment. The
City life moves fast, and escalators are a lifesaver for busy commuters. __1__ It is widely believed that this practice keeps traffic flowing smoothly and avoids congestion. While on the road, drivers of slower vehicles are required to remain within the outside lane so that those traveling at faster speeds may pass in the inside lane. Similar to traffic lanes that separate vehicles driving at different speeds, this convention on escalators allows for both efficiency and courtesy. __2__ This system reflects an unspoken understanding that facilitates shared use of the space. However, the city of Nagoya, Japan, has
Online retailer eBay has scrapped fees for private sellers across almost all of its categories as it attempts to keep fast-growing rivals such as Depop and Vinted at arm’s length. The move means eBay’s UK sellers no longer have to pay transaction fees, except for cars, motorcycles and other vehicles. In April this year, eBay removed fees for private sellers of pre-owned clothes, and the company said it was “now evolving the experience even further.” The site said ditching seller fees for fashion had already led to a double-digit increase in listings for popular items such as jeans, shirts and dresses, while at
RSS