Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool • Hacker News Board

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#111

Post by sickcodebruh » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 12:58 PM UTC

In 2015, I worked for a youth-focused and progressive news/“content” organization that posted their videos exclusively on social media. Let’s call them “Know That Event.” It made/makes its money by doing the occasional advertorial video on behalf of a company and mixing it in with its typical content.

They announced to the staff one day that they landed a deal with Shell to produce videos about their science investment initiatives. I was disturbed by this and had chats with various decision makers. I was told that it would have a positive impact and celebrate the good investments, which would encourage Shell to do more good things! I wish I wrote down details, it was ridiculous. But they went ahead and did it. Shell never exerted any control over other content and all the news/editorial people were smart and committed, but this left a bad taste in my mouth about the company for the rest of my time there.

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#112

Post by gray_-_wolf » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 12:59 PM UTC

dottjt wrote: post #79

Quite literally last week I was randomly watching The Today Show (mainstream Australian breakfast television) and I couldn't believe what I just saw within the space of 5 minutes. It was the build up to the AFL grand final and there was a presenter on a football field with kids kicking footballs in the background. Anyway, he introduces the segment and it turns out it's a paid promotion for Shell. The show then cuts t…

> I don't get easily offended, but I've honestly never seen anything more disgusting in my entire life.

Try watching some documentaries about Tiananmen Square or Uyghurs. I am curious if this statement will still hold.

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#113

Post by wiseowise » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:00 PM UTC

diogenes4 wrote: post #67

hnlmorg wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been the case for a hundred years already. It is why Santa is dressed in red. Why people buy diamond engagement rings. Why cigarettes were readily available for literally decades after they were already known to be harmful. And why American gun control laws have never matured despite all the evidence that proves the status quo isn’t viable.

> And why American gun control laws have never matured despite all the evidence that proves the status quo isn’t viable. Tbh I don't think this has anything to do with marketing. Guns are just a part of our culture regardless of whether we want them to be or not. If we were capable of changing this we'd be capable of doing a hell of a lot of other things, too, instead of sitting on our hands and loudly babbling about…

> Guns are just a part of our culture regardless of whether we want them to be or not.

"Owning slaves is just a part of our culture regardless of whether we want it to be or not."

And I know what you're thinking: "comparing owning guns to owning human beings is wrong". Yes, but saying that something is "our culture" and can't be changes is just plain silly. Especially when it comes to guns.

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#114

Post by jdasdf » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:01 PM UTC

DoingIsLearning wrote: post #83

Tinfoil moment, there is genuine discussion and protest from Gen Z grassroots to hit them where it hurts, i.e. stop subsidies and tax breaks for Oil & Gas. Both BP and Shell are likely aware of this and are now trying to target public transport advertisement and online communities, where they think they will probably win over Gen Z.

As they should. If you're going to propagandize to kids, it's only right that the side you're opposing should be able to do the same.

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#115

Post by jabradoodle » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:02 PM UTC

ravenstine wrote: post #11

tomp wrote: post #8

Fossil fuels caused the greatest progress in history of mankind, and resulted in decimation of disease, famine and poverty. Green movement has spent the last 50 years opposing nuclear power, otherwise we would have decarbonised at least 90% already (like France has).

Yeah, I'm not a fan of big corporations using propaganda, especially towards children but, that topic aside, people are kidding themselves if they believe their way of life would exist without fossil fuels. Look up the Haber process; your ability to walk down to a Whole Foods in a city of millions and buy groceries to support your vegan diet wouldn't be a thing. The stepping stone to things like nuclear and solar wou…

> You know what the solution is, reader? Either support pro-nuclear policies until something better comes along, or shut up about climate change.

Renewables are already cheaper than fossil fuels in many cases.

No one thinks fossil fuels were not essential in getting us to where we are.

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#116

Post by whelp_24 » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:03 PM UTC

littlestymaar wrote: post #92

diogenes4 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And why American gun control laws have never matured despite all the evidence that proves the status quo isn’t viable. Tbh I don't think this has anything to do with marketing. Guns are just a part of our culture regardless of whether we want them to be or not. If we were capable of changing this we'd be capable of doing a hell of a lot of other things, too, instead of sitting on our hands and loudly babbling about…

Guns are as much part of the American culture as SUVs are: mostly fabricated by advertisement and corporate lobbying (which too is “part of the American culture”, I guess).

No.

Guns literally are part of the founding od America. We got the second Amendment precisely because England tried to do things like take guns and quarter soldiers. Guns are and always have been part of American culture. I would also research the history of gun control the U.S, it may surprise you.

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#117

Post by wiseowise » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:03 PM UTC

tomp wrote: post #13

ethanbond wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Okay? And now where do we go from here? Decisions about the future shouldn’t be based on some weird tribalistic pride about your fav energy source’s vibes or the historical ethics of it. It’s fucking oil, it isn’t going to get hurt feelings.

[flagged]

So you're willing to let the world burn, unless we go with your favorite energy source?

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#118

Post by mstipetic » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:03 PM UTC

slashdev wrote: post #101

thaumasiotes wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't get easily offended, but I've honestly never seen anything more disgusting in my entire life. The US government runs a prominent advertising campaign on the theme "if you let your baby sleep with you, you are a bad mother".

"if you let your baby sleep with you, you are a bad mother" that leads to a number of accidental suffocations. I think that’s pretty reasonable to educate the public about that.

Oh come on

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#119

Post by bluejekyll » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:03 PM UTC

whatever1 wrote: post #86

Fossil fuels are irreplaceable for what they offer at the price they ask. Don’t ask the West. Ask India that had the choice to leapfrog fossil fuels and be energy independent, at higher cost. People don’t care about our opinions. They want the cheapest options. The only way to transition out of fossils for energy, is to make the alternatives cheaper and easily accessible. US transitioned from coal to gas within 10 ye…

It really depends on how you calculate this, but fossil fuels are not cheap by any means. The IMF has some staggering numbers for direct and indirect subsidies of fossil fuels, https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2023/08/24/fossil-fuel...: “… explicit subsidies (undercharging for supply costs) more than doubled to $1.3 trillion.” If we just got rid of those subsidies, we’d see a faster shift.

Then there are all the externalities that are not part of the cost of fossil fuel costs today, start charging for the pollution and make the real costs explicit. The next thing, stop subsidizing road construction and maintenance for car drivers, and make only car owners pay the costs of all the roads, people would again see more explicitly how much more expensive cars are, which would get people to shift to other options (the vast majority of which are not EVs and won’t be for a long time). People might opt to bike for anything shorter than a 3 mile errand, deeming the car to be too expensive, or use the local bus or transit system…

Point being, these fossil fuels are supported directly by our governments and many of the primary users of those fuels are also supported by our governments (some more than others like here in the US).

Re: Shell using Fortnite, TikTok, etc. to convince kids fossil fuels are cool

#120

Post by andix » Sat, Oct 07, 2023, 1:03 PM UTC

I see a positive side: It's a sign that change is happening right now.

Big oil never had to advertise the "benefits" of fuel, people just bought it. This slowly starts to change. And oil companies are crapping their pants, because in some countries a significant amount of cars on the roads will be EVs within a few years.

In Europe some corporations already switched to a 100% EV company car policy. All new leases need to be electric only, and within 3 years they will have >90% EVs in their passenger car fleet.