CURR 501 Blog 6: Learning about, "Why I Said no to Coca Cola"

When reading the Rethinking Schools text, I selected the chapter, "Why I said no to Coca Cola". I initially chose this text because I am a soda drinker ( although I have been cutting down a lot more over the past few months) and I wanted to read about how technology and Coca Cola tie in together. I was also hoping that this text would also give me another reason to put done the soda can!

This chapter goes on to discuss marketing and how companies go on to target schools as students are easier to target as they are much easier to influence with simple messaging and a lottttt of visuals. The author of this chapter, John Sheehan even mentions that in 1990, out of all 17 consortium's board members to vote on Coca Cola being advertised and put into Colorado schools, he was the only one to vote "no" which is alarming. 

Growing up, school lunches were never the best, as they tried to incorporate "healthy" food into our menus. Not saying that healthy food does not taste well but the schools had a lot of restrictions on what could be added to the food being served and hence the taste was not always the greatest. So coming from a time where schools handed out more "healthy" foods it alarms me that Coca Cola was even being spoken of in schools, let alone actually having soda as an option to get at school! Sheehan mentions that in Colorado high schools, the opportunity to have 20 machines in each building was approved over 20 years ago!!! Crazy!!

"Yes, schools need money, but turning to commercial sales for income is a cop-out. It sends the message to our voters and legislators that we can let them off the hook—that advertising and sales of consumer products can fill the gap when it comes to supporting education" (Sheehan,1). There is no doubt that the education system needs more funding, yet for big companies like Coca Cola to start marketing to schools because they are so vulnerable to make funds is not ok! This just shows how much power the school system when in comparison to multimillion dollar companies and where people would rather put their money to. 




Comments

  1. Jeanette's Blog 2021July 5, 2021 at 3:55 PM

    Thank you for sharing the information from this article. I will be very honest with you and say I am a soda drinker. And not just any soda. I am a loyal Coke drinker (although I do also get 80-100 oz of water a day as well). I will also tell you that I graduated high school in 1991 and we had a Coke machine in our high school back then. It is such a hard line for schools not to allow marketing in their buildings. On one hand I agree that Coke and Target etc. should not be allowed to market within school buildings. Unfortunately we all know that most public schools in the U.S. are way underfunded and they need to find money somewhere. I think it is such a hard decision to make.

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  2. CrystalJuly 6, 2021 at 9:11 AM

    Tammy,
    While I am not an avid soda drinker. My kids are... when they can get their hands on it. I do not buy it unless there is a party so they are drawn to it when it is available. This goes beyond soda and includes most food that is not healthy along with other products as well. Look at the companies being sued for targeting teens with their vaping products..

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  3. DaniaJuly 6, 2021 at 9:27 AM

    Thank your for sharing, Tamera. It is also scary to realize that our education system is so desperate for money that it is always vulnerable to multi-million dollar companies and their agendas which are never actually in support of the health or well-being of our children.
    It makes me wonder what it would take to get to a point where our schools do not have to rely on these outside sources in order to stay afloat.

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