I received an interesting email on Friday. At first it looked just like any other PR pitch, those pitches that never really bother to answer the very basic question of WIIFM, or “What’s In It For Me?”

But the email I received on Friday was different. It was from a company called My Gene Profile, who offers genetic testing for children. The PR pitch actually did try to answer the WIIFM question by claiming that by becoming their affiliate I would be able to earn some pretty decent money.

But what was especially interesting in that email was the suggestion that parents have their baby undergo genetic testing not just to find out about potential vulnerability to disease, but also to discover their talents and personal traits.

From the company’s website:

“The Inborn Talent Genetic Test reveals the inherited and endowed inborn talents of a child scientifically from the genetic makeup of his/her DNA. The test result will therefore help parents identify their children’s hidden talents that may not be obvious at young age. Furthermore, it also reveals some personality traits that the child may possess, judging from his/her genetic make-up.”

I found this to be more than a little disturbing. It seems to me like this type of genetic testing would cause parents and educators to label a child in the worst possible way. Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success and that the secret to success is painful and demanding practice and hard work.

Personally, I would never subject my child to genetic testing – at least not to this specific type of genetic “social” testing.

What do you think?

PS. I find it interesting that the company approached me to be their affiliate and here I am criticizing them. Will be interesting to see if they respond to this criticism or ignore it (they do have a Google Alert for their name, I assume!) and if they do respond – what will their response be. When companies decide to use social media marketing they need to accept that social media is about having a genuine conversation, and that they won’t always be in full control of that conversation.

Loved this Comment: “I would think that for a child, allowing them to interactively guide the parents with their own expressed interests would be the best way to go. After all, it’s the journey where the true pleasure lies, rather than just focusing on the imagined destination.” Dr. J for Calorie Lab.

Photo credit: peasap

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