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March 3, 2016Voorheesville Students Create Winning PSA to be Shown at Valleycats Game
On Friday, February 26, a panel of local decision makers, health professionals and representatives from media-based careers judged public service announcements (PSAs) created by students at Clayton A. Bouton High School in Voorheesville. The winning PSA was chosen among 8 entries for the way it was able to portray a connection between media and youth health behaviors. The PSA will be shown this summer at Joseph E. Bruno Stadium during the Tri-City ValleyCats baseball game.
In the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards, one of the country’s most celebrated media events, students at Clayton A. Bouton High School dedicated hours to analyzing how modern media culture could be impacting the behaviors of their generation. Students in Kyle Turski’s Technology course collaborated with Capital Region Reality Check to task the students with creating short PSAs that would depict how the presence of tobacco in youth consumed media could potentially impact a teen’s behavior in real life. The assignment was particularly challenging as students had to be careful not to glamorize the substance use they were exposing.
“It didn’t surprise me how often teens use media but I wasn’t really aware of the impact it could have on us in real life,” Michael Young age 16. “But I definitely pick up on new music or sports trends from social media so it’s easy to think about how social media could impact my health behaviors.”
The winning group filmed their PSA with the help from their friend’s younger siblings. “I realize there is tobacco in the video games I play or in a lot of the music videos I watch, but I never realized how it could be persuading my friend’s younger siblings to smoke,” said Mike.
Although prior legislation has restricted the tobacco industry’s ability to formally market their product to kids, modern media presents a new channel for youth to become unknowingly exposed to tobacco imagery. The use of tobacco products across popular streams of social media has presented a whole new market for the industry to reach future smokers.
It is estimated that teens in the United States spend about 9 hours per day using media1. This estimate does not include time spent using media at school or for their homework. 9 hours is more time than teens typically spend sleeping or with their parents or teachers2.
“Our students are immersed in media on a daily basis; it is integral to their future success for students to identify ways they may be influenced by media,” said Brian Hunt the Voorheesville Superintendent of Schools.
“The ValleyCats organization recognizes and embraces our responsibility to make a difference in the Capital Region community,” said Matt Callahan, General Manager of the Tri-City ValleyCats and a panel judge. “We are committed to contributing to positive improvements in our community that support the health of our younger generation.”
The ValleyCats signed a smoke free media pledge in 2015 with Reality Check. The smoke free media pledge outlined specific steps the organization would take to avoid youth exposure to tobacco related media.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 90% of smokers started before the age of 183. Tobacco control advocates accredit much of youth tobacco initiation to the presence of pro-Tobacco imagery contained in marketing at the point of sale or social norms within a community.
“Because most smokers start before they turn 18, it is crucial to prevent youth initiation”, said Judy Rightmyer, Director of the Capital District Tobacco Free Coalition. “Parents, youth and local decision makers need to be aware that the glamorization of tobacco products in youth movies or social media absolutely promotes tobacco use.”
