Complaint About Frightening Previews During Morning t.v.

Because the Good Morning America target audience is the same target audience as the movies you are speaking of. I don't think they expect a 4 yr old to be watching Good Morning America.
My kids like to watch Mythbusters , I have to mute the commercials cause 75% of them are for some erectile dysfunction pill. The majority of people that watch Mythbusters are those that would need that.
It's why I don't put anything on TV that's not a kids show or TV channel , while my kids are awake or home.
I get most of my news online or at night after the kids are in bed.

bottom line someone took a poll and the poll said that the ages of people that watch Good Morning America would also be the ages of people that would go see those movies. Therefore the producers for the movie bought commercial time with ABC for that time.

I agree with DVR. I just pause the commercials and then fast forward through them. My 7 yo does the same, even on the kids things, although they don't watch much, if any, on their own. My 4 yo has started to remind me, too, to "pause the mercials". I love it! Anyway, it's better than muting because you don't have to see it. I automatically pause at commercial time. In fact, live TV pretty much drives me nuts anymore, I'm so used to pausing and coming back occasionally. You don't miss anything that way, either, because of some interruption. GL!

Well, the world isn't set up to be child friendly! Tell your kids it's all make-believe and pretend. I've honestly never had this issue with my kids and we go to all the same places -although when I was at home I never watched tv in the daytime because I can't stand it. Good Morning America though is a show for adults and their advertisers advertise for adults. Best Buy and Costco want their primary demographic for their big flat screens (young to middle aged men) to be intrigued and see just how amazing zombies look on a 60" flat screen that costs $3000, so that's what they put on there. I have to say though, most of the time I'm in Costco or Best Buy, their televisions are on nature shows or sports. I agree with less tv, but once you're out of your home, the rest of the world shouldn't have to comply with your ideas of what your kid should or shouldn't see. I'm a firm believer in adult rule -I'm really sick of the idea that every place and everything should be kid friendly. Kids don't buy televisions -adults do. Kids need a little less sheltering!

i recommend a d.v.r.

Well... having the TV on in the doctor's office is preferable to reading a copy of Better Homes & Gardens that was published in 1983, right? Last time I was at the doctor, there was only a stack of NRA magazines there. At that moment, I'd have sold my soul to have a TV on in the waiting room.

I used to shelter my kids and really kind of go nuts about them not being exposed to any kind of scary anything. Fast forward to a year ago, when we took our first family vacation to Disneyland. My girls (then 4 and 7) both CRIED on the Peter Pan ride because they thought it was scary. My husband and I stood there, in the middle of Disneyland, and thought to ourselves, wow, have we really created two kids who are scared of the freakin' Peter Pan ride at Disneyland? REALLY? We decided our kids had become "bubble children" - totally unaware of any world outside of our carefully-constructed reality for them.

So after that, we stopped pausing the Tivo when they wander into the room. If it's on CSI, we tell them, "It's not real. They use special effects like red Jello to make it look like that." They haven't had any nightmares or anything. Better yet, they no longer freak out about every little thing.

Having been there and done that, I would say, take your daughter to Costco. If she sees scary things on the TV's there, so be it. Tell her it's not real, but also it is not meant to be kid TV, so if she doesn't want to look at it, she can turn her head. Let her choose if she wants to turn her head and not look at it. That will make her a little more empowered.

We live in a media-rich world, and I don't think it will ever be less so. Our kids have to learn to function in this environment, but also to choose what THEY will and won't watch. A lot of things on TV, I personally don't care to watch because it kind of freaks ME out! (Like Criminal Minds... creepy!!) We have to teach our kids to make those choices for themselves and give them guidelines on what is appropriate for them and why. Try to think of it as a teaching opportunity rather than something to hide away from her.

dvr is your best bet
i don't believe in censorship.
i think we're the least liberal country when it comes to what is shown here. so i will never be the one to complain about things on tv. if my kids have questions, i answer them. if there is news about a child being kidnapped to me that's a cue to start talking to my kids about dangers from strangers.
PBS (13 kids) is your best bet.
btw, my kids don't watch much tv, we're more into movies, family movie night is our most looked forward to night. but i have it on CNN during the day and whatever comes on comes on. i'm ok with that.

I think you should write Good Morning America and tell them you don't like their sponsors, and when you go in public and the TV is showing bad stuff, complain to the store. If nobody ever says anything, then it will never change. And I think most people don't really notice those types of things. Your kids haven't been desensitized to it so they notice things that other people aren't thinking about.

Yes, DVR.

Also, we teach our kids about TV, and content. We discuss it.... we teach them how to DISCERN what is inappropriate or not... even kiddie tv commercials. We teach them it is 'marketing'... not that this is 'good'.
Even my 4 year old son... will tell me, if a commercial on TV is 'bad.' We also discuss the news with them and what is going on etc.
And yes we also do not let them watch certain things, as well.

My kids are 7 and 4 years old.

all the best,
Susan

I have to agree with everyone. Getting a Tivo or DVR will solve this problem for you. I agree that I wish they wouldn't show these awful commercials (I personally hate scary movies, and the previews always frighten me), but short of writing a complaint to the TV station and hoping that they listen, I think you'll have to look into a DVR or like product. I personally LOVE my Tivo for lots of reasons - I get to watch the late-night shows that I cannot possibly stay awake for while cleaning the kitchen during my son's nap the next day. Good luck.

wow, i wish that was all i had to worry about with two kids and a man running around my house

Hi,
I completely understand. When my kids were little we signed up for cable. Even though they were only watching appropriate daytime shows, there were totally inappropriate commercials during the daytime. So we cancelled cable. Friends said... they'll see it other places.... I said... I know, but I can try to limit it. I don't think exposure it the biggest problem, I think repeated exposure is the worst. And of course, now it isn't just cable, it's many of the channels. It's possible you may consider giving up daytime t.v. at home. As for stores or doctors' offices, you might wish to talk to the person in charge of that room. It's quite possible they will be glad to change the channel. Then you can tell you daughter....... Honey, we can help other people think about turning off the scary, make-believe t.v. shows.

I completely agree with you! I had to get rid of T.V all together for exactly that reason. I'm a SAHM also so my solution was netflix. I can get the clean T.V shows without any commercials. For news I signed up for newsletters (like One News Now) and I will log on to fox news every evening for 10 minutes to see if I missed anything important.

I agree with you about media over-saturation. It's not just scary, it's ugly images, and young children do not need to be around that. Kids really absorb more than we think. And there is nothing wrong with protecting your child from that when they are young.

I actually wrote in to RCN to complain about their On Demand advertisements which are playing, even when you go to the children's section. I look for quality children's tv shows, like Sprout Online and PBS, and one time we were choosing a program when an ad came on for "Kick *ss", some movie. I really don't like that kind of language for kids and we had a guest, who started repeating the words over and over again. Not good, IMHO. Then, a preview for Date Night came on, and was, again, inappropriate for kids.

I actually don't think people should just sit around and take it. RCN didn't really have a thoughtful response for me, so we solved the problem by just watching less tv. We go to the library more, listen to cds more, that kind of stuff. It's more fun, actually. When we do watch tv, I make sure to choose the program ahead of time, and then just watch it at that time (we have no tivo or fancy stuff, either, just basic cable), and I stopped watching RCN On Demand altogether.

If you want to stay updated on the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, here is a link: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/

Best wishes.

Well, I am so with you. I think that those kind of commercials should not be able to be shown on tv until after 8pm! And people working selling tv's should choose more appropriate shows like Discovery Channel!!!!!

We can't be should-ing about stuff like this. Yes its awful, but this is the world we live in - this is the trash people enjoy. I would complain everywhere you go and ask to have it changed. That's really all you can do.

I don't blame you at all. You're absolutely right. What you can do, pro actively, is to email ABC and complain. Ask everyone you know to do the same. Maybe with enough complaints ABC will listen.
Same with Best Buy. Go to customer svc and complain there too. You shouldn't have to NOT shop there because of it. They have plenty of DVDs they could pop in just as easily to demonstrate the quality picture.

Well, we use TiVo (DVR) and record PBS and NickJr (formerly Noggin) shows for the kids. They are commerical free (more or less). The rest we TiVo watch later. But I am with you on the complaint.

My (child-free) sister once asked what the big deal was - couldn't people just turn off the TVs? And I began to point out to her ALL of the TVs EVERYWHERE we go.

I was once walking my kids through the mall and a sports store had a giant TV in the window, playing ESPN, I guess. A commercial for the movie "Saw" came on as we walked by. Yeh, I am pretty sure my 4 year old didn't need to see that!

Personally, I think that commericals for crime shows and R-rated movies shouldn't be aired before 9 EST (I'd prefer later, as we're on Mountain Time, but I'm trying to be realistic). Didn't there used to be a rule like that?

I agree with you, I always ask the person in the window or at the desk for the remote and I change it. If someone is really watching the show I always ask them first, if they look at me like I'm crazy I explain it's not appropriate for a child. If they say they are watching I wait until they go in and then change it, it's not very long usually before they go in then I change it.

To be honest though, it was my choice to take a child into that adult area, such as a waiting room at the doctors, knowing it's going to be an adult area and not like at the pediatricians.

As for TV at home, I think it's going to be a choice you have to make, let the kids go play in their room and turn your show on, I can always switch the channel for a moment if they come in and one of those things are on. I really like Grey's Anatomy but have had to stop watching it unless the kids are in the other room, if they come in I switch it if Callie and her girlfriend come on.

I am not homophobic, 2 of my college roommates were gay guys, I have no issues with their choices or lifestyles. I don't want to try and explain to my kids why girls are kissing and making out in the shower or hospital sleeping area. Nor do I want to explain why others are making out and half naked either. And it's on at 8 pm here, it used to be that shows had to have certain restrictions if they were on before 9 pm.

The ER only allows the weather channel or news on and I usually just move where we can't see the multiple tornadoes ripping up towns or discussions about serial killers running rampant in some town or another. Showing real life tragedy is just not a happy place for me.

Also I say DVR. But as far as Costco and Best Buy and other stores, unless it's a sports day usually they have nature shows, cooking or a kids movie on. Because they really show off the TV with color and detail. I have never walked into these stores and seen horror flicks. If it's local you could ask to speak to the manager and just file a complaint that since children do come into the stores a more generic show should be playing. My son hates most things scary but if I can't catch it and fast forwrd on the DVR, I just say cover eyes and ears till I tell you to look. Not the best solution but I also don't want him to have that image as the last thing he sees before bed, because then we are in for a night of I can't sleep I am having nightmares.

I've read the other comments with interest because I get so sick of that stuff, too. I don't need all that in my head, and I'm a grownup, not a kid!

The thing to do at home, of course, is to turn the television off - you have a lot of suggestions for alternatives, if you want to try them.

When I walk through stores, I just have to ignore what I see. They don't care how I feel; I'm not their target consumer, and neither are your children. So we don't count. That's the way it is.

So the garbage may be there, but I don't have to have anything to do with it. Neither do you. You could always talk to the store manager, even though it may not do much good. If your children are with you, you need to have a remark handy that helps them learn what to think of what they see.

Your mention of television in the doctor's office brought back a memory! I had to visit the hospital every day, years ago, for radiation therapy. The waiting room constantly had the television on. I thought at first that perhaps it was required! Maybe there was no off button. But when I happened to be waiting by myself, I found there was a button and I'd use it.

When there were other people there, it was... interesting. There would be an AWFUL show on, and if there were just two or three others waiting I'd ask them, "Are any of you watching this show?" They'd say, "No..." "Oh, no, that's a terrible show..." So I'd say, "Well, why don't we turn the thing off?" Invariably they'd say, "Oh, no, leave it on..." "Oh, it doesn't bother me that much...." "No, it's not our TV so we shouldn't touch it...." I had to conclude that either people are totally tied up with TV, or... it's just too uncomfortable not to have some sort of noise on.

(On the other hand, I walked into the same waiting room one morning and saw, on the same TV, people literally running for their lives. That was how I learned about the Oklahoma City bombing.)

All I can tell you is to put your money where your mouth is--as a consumer. That's really all you can do. I shudder at some of those horror movie previews too (especially the nun bank robbers). But really, I think the world is getting a little too p.c. to accommodate everyone!