Calling All Children

1453 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: today's society and consumerism

A new trend has emerged in consumerism throughout the last couple of years. The increase in the marketing of cell phones to children has risen dramatically. Phone companies are realizing that parents are becoming more willing to buy cell phones for their kids. Major telecommunications providers, as well as companies that are well known names in the toy industry, are marketing cell phones in any way that will make children want them. The companies take notice of the actions of parents and how they react to their children wanting a cell phone to determine what works in terms of advertising campaigns. Companies marketing cell phones are deliberately manipulating the rift between children wanting cell phones without knowing the risks and parents who are not aware of the complications of a child owning a cell phone for his or herself. Popular toy companies such as Mattel and Disney have been marketing phones for children for a number of years. While the aim is to keep children protected, the underlying outcome is the same; children beg for yet another “toy” that they are not yet old enough for. It works because the companies selling them are well known for producing fast-selling and trendy children’s toys. Children simply push a cell phone into the toy category in their minds. The mind of a child however has yet to become fully developed, so “they don’t necessarily have the understanding of the ways of the commercial world possessed by most adults.” (Advertising Standards Authority) Children simply see there is something that they want and believe that they should have it. Commercials for children’s cell phones use bright colors, upbeat, happy music and show images of other children using the cell phone to draw children in. Other ads... ... middle of paper ... ...ads/CMPAAA_A4.pdf> "Children and Advertising." Advertising Standards Authority. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. Carvajal, Doreen. "Concern in Europe on Cell phone Ads for Children." The New York Times. 8 Mar. 2008. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. Petrecca, Laura. "Cell Phone Marketers Calling All Preteens." USA Today. Gannett, 5 Sept. 2005. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. Olsen, Stefanie. "When to Buy Your Child a Cell phone." The New York Times. 9 June 2012. Web. 26 Mar. 2012. "Cell Phones." CMCH.tv. Web. 27 Mar. 2012.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Christine Rosen's 'Our Cell Phones Ourselves'

    1719 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the article entitled, “Our Cell Phones Ourselves”, Christine Rosen describes how cell phones have changed the way we communicate. Rosen tells the readers the main purpose for cell phone use in the past, versus present day. Her purpose is to make society aware of how cell phones have influenced our lives in order to inspire change as to how we view our cell phones. Rosen directs her writing to everyone in the present day by describing the negative results of cell phone use and how it impacts our lives and those around us. Without a doubt, cell phones are going to be a part of our world, but it is the responsibility of every cell phone owner to exercise self control and understand that a cell phone is nothing more than a device.

    Read More

  • Consuming Kids Documentary Analysis

    524 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Consuming Kids” is a documentary produced by Media Education Foundation in 2008, on how corporations are taking over our childhood. Kids are becoming targets to the marketplace. Major advertisement corporations are using their marketing on children in a harmful way. Some of these harmful ways include medical issues, the influence on body image, and lack of desire to play outside. This matters, because of our future youth. Advertisements are a domino effect on society.

    Read More

  • Consuming Kids: The Commercialization of Childhood

    1469 Words  | 3 Pages

    The land of the free, brave and consumerism is what the United States has become today. The marketing industry is exploiting children through advertisement, which is ridiculously unfair to children. We are around advertisement and marketing where ever we go; at times, we don't even notice that we are being targeted to spend our money. As a matter of fact, we live to buy; we need and want things constantly, and it will never stop. The film, Consuming Kids , written by Adriana Barbaro and directed by Jeremy Earp, highlights children as this powerful demographic, with billions of dollars in buying power, but the lack of understanding of marketers’ aggressive strategies. Children are easily influenced and taken advantage of, which is why commercialization of children needs to stop. Commercialization to children leads to problems that parents do not even know are happening such as social, future, and rewired childhood problems. Government regulations need to put a stop to corporations that live, breathe and sell the idea of consumerism to children and instead show that genuine relationships and values are what are important.

    Read More

  • Guyana and Family Values

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Rocker- Gladen, while attempting to teach her students about consumerism, one recurring comment students normally make about consumerism, it is their parents’ responsibility to monitor their exposure to consumerism. This alarming fact is that not every child has parents whom are actively involved in their child’s development. Turkle emphasized that by parents giving their kids cell phones this can lead them to developing a new state of dependence. Instead of the youth seeking their parent’s advice about their ideas and attitudes, they are more likely resort to their inexperienced peers. This is as a result of the “always on, always contented” communication culture that is being the...

    Read More

  • Media Influence and Parental Responsibility in Child Consumerism

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kids these days are constantly looking to get the next best thing, or act how the “popular” people would act. In the article “Commodifying Kids: The Forgotten Crisis,” Giroux talks about the affects the media market is having on children of today. The media is “brainwashing” kids into buying their products and catching them while they are young. The children of today are measuring their worth by the things they own or the way they act, which is largely due in part to the media market. While I do agree with Giroux on how the media market is to blame for the strong influence of children, I also think that the parents should share some of the blame for giving into their child’s desires and buying and encouraging them to get the top products.

    Read More

  • Marketing Towards Children

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    Any agency that uses children for marketing schemes spend hundreds of billions dollars each year world wide persuading and manipulating consumer’s lifestyles that lead to overindulgence and squandering. Three articles uncover a social problem that advertising companies need to report about. In his research piece “Kid Kustomers” Eric Schlosser considers the reasons for the number of parents that allow their children to consume such harmful foods such as ‘McDonalds’. McDonalds is food that is meant to be fast and not meant to be a regular diet. Advertising exploits children’s needs for the wealth of their enterprise, creating false solutions, covering facts about their food and deceiving children’s insecurities. It contains dissatisfaction that leads to over consumption. Children are particularly vulnerable to this sort of manipulation, American Psychological Association article, “Youth Oriented Advertising” reveals the facts upon the statics on consumers in the food industries. The relationship that encourages young children to adapt towards food marketing schemes, make them more vulnerable to other schemes, such as, advertising towards clothing, toys and cars. Article writer of “The relationship between cartoon trade character recognition and attitude toward product category in young children”, Richard Mizerski, discusses a sample that was given to children ages three to six years old, about how advertising incurs young children that are attracted too certain objects or products on the market.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of The Digital Parent Trap By Eliana Dockterman

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article, “The Digital Parent Trap” by Eliana Dockterman, reveals the possible advantages of an early introduction of technology to children. Dockterman’s purpose is to convince her audience that limited early age exposure to electronics can be beneficial to children. She utilizes a factual and unbiased tone when persuading her audience, parents. Dockterman appeals to logos, appeals to ethos, and compares the effects of technology to persuade her audience that early exposure to technology actually can be beneficial.

    Read More

  • Research Persuasive Essay

    1193 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cellphones have become an asset in people's everyday lives. Gone are the days when cellphones are depicted as luxurio...

    Read More

  • Fast Food Nation Satire

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Corporations cause grave concern through aggressive marketing ads because they hope to inflict “nostalgic childhood memories of a brand that will lead to a lifetime of purchases because companies now plan ‘cradle-to-grave’ advertising strategies” (43). Children, before they have a sense of identity, are already being manipulated into believing that status and self worth are associated with materialistic ideas or wealth. This advertising is applied to all aspects of life, not just junk food consumption. Companies and corporations have been targeting children because of their vulnerability, causing “the FTC’s proposed ban, which was supported by American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, and the Child Welfare League” (46). This ban against advertising is necessary for the future health of America, but was attacked and rejected by vicious businesses, who are preoccupied with their monetary gains. A professional organization composed of pediatric medical doctors, who spend their lives improving the health and wellbeing of children, support the television ad ban on children. Therefore, it is unquestionable how wrong it is for these enormous corporations to exploit the naivety of

    Read More

  • Cell Phones for Children: A Clear and Present Danger

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    Maffei, M. (2012). 5 Reasons why your kids should have cell phones Michelle Maffei. Retrieved

    Read More

  • Propaganda Techniques Used In Advertising

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today, children are bombarded everyday with a significant number of ads that can affect their reasoning for the future adults they will become. The desirable products shown by colorful ads are enough to convince a kid to want a toy or game. These ads are clearly overwhelming children with a variety of goods they will want them all and lose a sense of critic for them in order to prefer just one instead of a dozen he sees daily. Unfortunately, almost every 15 mins there is an advertisement suggesting that kids should have those products by making them “needs” instead of “wants.” Propaganda techniques specifically used for children are blinding their critical thinking by showing that it is more important if it looks cool rather than if it is useful.

    Read More

  • Our Cell Phones, Our Selves by Christine Rosen

    1761 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Rosen, the main reason why people acquire a cell phone is because of security. After the tragic event that occurred on September 11, 2001 in the United States cell phones started to play an important role in our lives. Rosen states that after this e...

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity: Fast Food Companies Are To Blame

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Commercials make the viewer think about the product being advertised. Because of the amount of television children watch throughout the week, it allows the children to be exposed to the information over and over again. Per year, children are known to view thousands of fast food commercials. On a daily basis, a teen will usually view five advertisements and a child aged six to eleven will see around four advertisements (Burger Battles 4). Businesses use this strategy to “speak directly to children” (Ruskin 3). Although the big businesses in the fast ...

    Read More

  • Advertising and Its Impact on Children

    1554 Words  | 4 Pages

    Advertising uses the power of suggestion to sell a product. In the case of children, a company’s advertisement hopes to suggest that their product is best. Many food companies target children with the hopes that they can influence their parents'choices when it comes to buying a product. The product is a. Animated characters, catch phrases, and toys are used to lure a child to the product. WORKS CITED Dittmann, Melissa. A. (2004, June 6).

    Read More

  • Advertising to Children Must Be Banned

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kravis, Anders. “Stop Advertising to Children.” Online video. Youtube. Youtube, 5 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.

    Read More

More about Calling All Children

Open Document