Why do we never see a PSA these days?

[BowdonUK]

I've been watching some British public service adverts reminding people of dangers and giving them good advice.

I remember seeing some of the adverts when growing up in the 80s and 90s. But in the recent couple of decades I've never seen any. Why?

I don't believe there is some osmosis information absorption that happens from parents to their children.

We know some parents send their kids to school these days without them being potty trained or getting dressed etc, so we know some parents don't know the basics.

Do other people remember any PSA's from back in the day? And should we bring back PSA's?

 

[Ace Modder]

The internet is why.

 

[VincentHanna]

Conservatives closed down the COI in 2011. I believe there used to be free advertising slots for the Government to advertise in as well.

Central Office of Information - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Now they would need to be factored in to the budget of whichever department would be responsible and probably can't afford it.

 

[StriderX]

There are some adverts to the effect that show up locally (rarely) but I guess that depends on whether they're being targeted correctly.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Government are out to kill us all, run by shadow agencies of overseas origin.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

You don't have volcanic or oceanic activity.
Settle down Beavis.

 

[loftie]

I've been watching some British public service adverts reminding people of dangers and giving them good advice.

I remember seeing some of the adverts when growing up in the 80s and 90s. But in the recent couple of decades I've never seen any. Why?

I don't believe there is some osmosis information absorption that happens from parents to their children.

We know some parents send their kids to school these days without them being potty trained or getting dressed etc, so we know some parents don't know the basics.

Do other people remember any PSA's from back in the day? And should we bring back PSA's?

I've seen one not too long ago about not driving in the middle lane on the motorway. Is that kind of thing you're on about?

 

[Diagro]

Because the general public are as thick as two short planks. (Sorry )
They simply don't listen to good advice.

 

[Hedge]

Merge in turn PSA please!

 

[RxR]

Iirc there were those tv psa's about hiding under the stairs, closing your curtains etc in case of Nuclear blast. That and the AIDS and COVID ones (in .au) are all that come to mind.

 

[Werewolf]

I think there are still some on the commercial channels, but they tend to be on the cheaper channels, I seem to remember a "recycle your electricals" one fairly recently, and I think there have been a few about how being drunk results in stupid decisions.

 

[D-Ranged]

The internet is why.

/Thread.

Tbh there is a lot of things that get changed and there is no real way of finding out unless you look for it, including the internet.

It's as if the government wants you to get fined for stupid mistakes.

 

[Diddums]

We know some parents send their kids to school these days without them being potty trained or getting dressed etc, so we know some parents don't know the basics.

I don't think any amount of PSAs will help these people tbh.

 

[dave28]

Seems like all the advertising space has been taken up by gambling ads.

 

[dlockers]

You boomers confuse the hell out of me. One second you are moaning for free choice/less government, the next you are complaining the nanny state of yester-year isn't alive and kicking?

 

[SPG]

Because whatever the advice is you will get someone saying the complete opposite and that hiding under a table when a earthquake happens is a bad idea and your better off using a doorway or running 5 miles in 2mins to get to a open space and lie on your back whispering oooooooooooooooooooooooo save meeeee pixie.

 

[moon man]

 

[Werewolf]

For some reason I love the fact that the BFI has collections of those old PSA's available to buy (and their BFI player is pretty good for films that might not be on prime etc, just a shame it's browser based).

 

[Rai200]

Conservatives closed down the COI in 2011. I believe there used to be free advertising slots for the Government to advertise in as well.

Central Office of Information - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Now they would need to be factored in to the budget of whichever department would be responsible and probably can't afford it.

I was jokingly going to say we ain't got the money for that any more... but yeah, I guess we ain't got the money for that.

 

[Efour]

Because kids would try and do the exact opposite of what the information warned of as some kind of challenge.