Offended by survey

[perd]

Occasionally a company I do surveys for will ask for a teen in the household to do a survey. They recent asked for a survey to be filled out by a 13 to 17-year-old male in your home. I have a 17-year-old son, so asked him to fill it out. He has filled out surveys before, the contents of which I paid not attention as it was for him to fill out and not me. But I happened to be around when he was filling this one it.

I know we aren't supposed to discuss the products. So I'm not giving the name of the company or the names of the products, but the survey involved descriptions of several products with advertisting meant to sell the product, obviously geared toward teen boys. But it was BLATANTLY sexual. Said things like if you didn't use this product you'd miss out on some serious action, something about staying up all night, that you'd be fighting the babes off of you, that if you wear it the women will come, references to hot chicks. All about sex and how if you use this or that product girls will want you.

Now I know my son is 17 and I'm sure he thinks about sex. But this survey was for boys 13 to 17 and even at 17 I have a problem with my son taking a survey like that (especially me telling him to do the survey!) and I MOST DEFINITELY would have a problem with it if he were 13!! I totally did not expect those kinds of comments. I think the survey company really should warn parents and let them see the survey BEFORE they have their sons log on to take the survey and decide whether they want their son to take it or not.

I just feel like it was totally inappropriate. I did not suspect at all that the survey would be of that nature, as none of the surveys I have taken for the company (and I've taken a lot) have been blatantly sexual like that. I am offended that companies are targeting kids with that kind of advertising and also offended that they wanted my son to answer those questions without my knowledge ahead of time what the content would be.

 

[jessica52877]

Wow! I would be upset too! DS is only 4, but I get those all the time. I know now if in years it is still around to pay attention to it! I would have never thought!

 

[branv]

Sounds like Axe. Those commercials make me want to scream.

I would write a complaint about age inappropriate surveys. At 17, it might be hard to press, but given that your son could just as easily have been 13, I'd say that's excellent grounds for a complaint.

 

[harleyquinn]

Sounds like Axe. Those commercials make me want to scream.

That's exactly what I was thinking!

I don't blame you for being upset.

 

[Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo]

I got that same survey, and felt the same way as you! But, I cheated and did the survey myself, as my soon to be 16 year old was out. I was glad I did after seeing the context. I thought it would just be what kind of products he used, and thought it was going to be one of the quick ones, so didn't see any harm in filling it out myself, as I do all the shopping, I was not happy to see the suggestive questions and ideas.

 

[patsal]

My 15 yo son did a gum survey, and I found one of the commercials they used totally offensive--easily "soft porn" Guy on red carpet biting women on the butt, other frontal areas "down south", etc. Totally inapropriate and totally not the way I've raised my son--these were very demeaning and degrading to both women and men really. Yup he's 15, not 18 and no I don't think that behavior in a commercial depicts normal behavior or makes a good advertisement for gum.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Sounds like Axe. Those commercials make me want to scream.

Ditto.

I would write them a complaint letter. It probably won't make a dern bit of difference to them, but it WILL make you feel better. If enough people would complain about things, they would change.

Make sure and tell them that you had considered buying their products in the past, but that they'll never get a dime out of you now.

 

[DawnM]

That is just SICK!

And we wonder why teen pregnancy is on the rise!

Dawn

 

[perd]

I got that same survey, and felt the same way as you! But, I cheated and did the survey myself, as my soon to be 16 year old was out. I was glad I did after seeing the context. I thought it would just be what kind of products he used, and thought it was going to be one of the quick ones, so didn't see any harm in filling it out myself, as I do all the shopping, I was not happy to see the suggestive questions and ideas.

I emailed the person who sends out the emails requesting that a survey be completed this morning and told her my thoughts about them asking me to ask my 17-year-old fill out this kind of survey when I was not advised ahead of time of the content so I could decide whether I wanted him to fill it out or not. It is so totally inappropriate to email us asking us to have our kids fill these out with that kind of content, without warning us of the content! I am just incredulous that they would ask us to do that. I mean, I guess they want the true opinions of kids that age and of course, sex sells. But as long as they are under 18 they are still under our supervision and it is our right and responsibility to decide what they are and are not exposed to. I feel taken advantage of in a way that they would ask me to pass that on to my son and not advise me of the sexual nature of the survey.

I bet I am not the only one who will complain, either!

 

[mrsboz]

I think I got this survey also. It was for a teen 13 -17 and they were to be awarded $8.00??? I kept it in my email but didn't have time for my son to do it. I was going to ask him today if he wanted to. I am so glad that I saw your warning. He just turned 14 a month ago. I would not have wanted him to fill it out. I tried to check it out to see if it was the one that you were talking about but they were full. It did say on the page before it started that it contained graphic pictures or something I can't remember maybe language. Unbelivable that they would send this to young boys. I would be high offended also. Thanks for warning everyone else.

 

[perd]

I think I got this survey also. It was for a teen 13 -17 and they were to be awarded $8.00??? I kept it in my email but didn't have time for my son to do it. I was going to ask him today if he wanted to. I am so glad that I saw your warning. He just turned 14 a month ago. I would not have wanted him to fill it out. I tried to check it out to see if it was the one that you were talking about but they were full. It did say on the page before it started that it contained graphic pictures or something I can't remember maybe language. Unbelivable that they would send this to young boys. I would be high offended also. Thanks for warning everyone else.

I'm not sure if it is the same. The deadline for the one I got was yesterday, the 22nd. And the pay was $5. And I didn't see any warning about graphic pictures or language at all.

But I wonder if different survey companies might be researching for the same companies - so maybe the survey you got was basically the same survey but through a different survey company with a different deadline/payment/warning?

 

[We4mickey]

We also got this one. I also did it for my son. I do not approve of the language that the one product uses and that is why he did not do it. I would not use or buy that product soley based on the descriptions that they use. And yes, I am a pretty liberal mom.

 

[twinklebug]

This is why I fill out the surveys for my kids (I sit & type as they answer) I would have clicked the X on that survey as soon as it seemed inappropriate.

 

[Andrea from PA]

Just to jump in -- We did not get a survey, but my 11 year old started using Axe products when they first came out. He loves trhe deodorant & body wash, but the recent commercials offended me so much, I switched him over to Suave products!

He has complained a little because he likes Axe better, esp. the shape of the body wash as it is easy to hold -- but I just don't want to support Axe anymore!

Glad many others are offended at teen marketing -- thought I was getting old & prudish

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Just to jump in -- We did not get a survey, but my 11 year old started using Axe products when they first came out. He loves trhe deodorant & body wash, but the recent commercials offended me so much, I switched him over to Suave products!

He has complained a little because he likes Axe better, esp. the shape of the body wash as it is easy to hold -- but I just don't want to support Axe anymore!

Glad many others are offended at teen marketing -- thought I was getting old & prudish

You are not the only one. I thought I was getting too old and prudish until my husband asked if I thought the AXE commercial was appropriate for ABC Family channel at 4pm.