Advertising and Our Children

1701 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The effect of marketing on children

Marketing and advertising in the United States is creating needs rather than meeting the needs of our children. Advertising influence on children and teenagers is increasing beyond just television today. Children cannot escape the 40,000 ads that are on t.v. alone, keep in mind that is television alone, not including the pervasive influence of other media such as ad placement in programs and video games, toys, the internet, billboards, radio, mobile phones, and so much more. Obesity, cigarette and alcohol use, and the poor nutrition of our children and teenagers are contributed to exposure to this never ending barrage of ads. The facts are staggering.
I’m going to give you some numbers, quite a few numbers, but these are some statistics we all should be aware of and should startle parents. Did you know the average US child watches an estimated 25,000 to 40,000 television commercials per year, however, in the UK, it is considerably less, with 10,000? Also, $15-17 billion is spent in advertising to children in the US, with an unbelievable amount of over $4 billion spent by the fast food industry alone in 2009?(9,10) No wonder we have a nation of overweight and obese youth. With a “tween strategy”, major brands are receiving $30 billion from parents spending for their children. How do we fight an industry when 80% of all global brands deploy this strategy? (11)
Our children are viewing more than 3000 advertisements per day through the various medias such as t.v., internet, and magazines, and now even bathroom stalls. (1, 2) Look around you and your children, and take notice of all the places an ad is positioned. Really look. It’s astonishing. Everything from apparel with Marvel Comic characters on them to the latest unhealthy Happy ...

... middle of paper ...

...ion Advertising in 1977 and 2004: Information for the Obesity Debate, FTC, June 1, 2007.

(10)Television Advertising Leads to Unhealthy Habits in Children; Says APA Task Force, American Psychological Association (APA), February 23, 2004

(11) Kim Campbell and Kent Davis-Packard, How ads get kids to say I want it! Christian Science Monitor, September 18, 2000

(12) The New York Times, Health Groups Criticize Allergy Drug Promotion By Katie Thomas Published: June 21, 2012, on page B3

(13) Juliet Schor, Regulation, Awareness, Empowerment. Young People and Harmful Media Content in the Digital Age, Nordicom, June 2006 (p.111)

(14) Juliet Schor, Regulation, Awareness, Empowerment. Young People and Harmful Media Content in the Digital Age, Nordicom, June 2006 (pp.114-115)

(15) Toys of Misery; A Report on the Toy Industry in China, National Labor Committee, December 2001

Show More
Related

  • The Myth Of Choice: How Junk-Food Companies Target Our Children

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    In an article titled, “Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US,” by Mary Story and Simone French, it talks about how advertisers are targeting children and teens. Based on what I read, in the U.S. alone, adolescents spend 140 billion dollars annually while children spend 12-25 billion dollars annually. Youths are spending money that could go towards their college funds and things that they need. (add something about article facts about marketing to children) In fact, in an article titled, “$211 Billion and So Much to Buy American Youths, the New Big Spenders,” it talks about how people ages 8-24 years old spent $211 billion in 2012. If they spent this much money in 2012, the cost most likely went up in 2017 since youths have so many ways of being exposed to ads currently. This can lead to many that shouldn’t be a

    Read More

  • Summary Of Every Nook And Currency: The Dangerous Spread Of Commercialized Culture

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article, Every Nook and Cranny: The Dangerous Spread of Commercialized Culture by Gary Ruskin and Juliet Schor (Ackley 361). Since the early 90s is when Commercialism has bombarded the society. Ruskin and Schor provide examples why advertising has an effect on people’s health. Marketing related diseases afflicting people in the United States, and especially children, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and smoking-related illnesses. “Each day, about 2,000 U.S. children begin to smoke, and about one-third of them will die from tobacco-related illnesses” (Ackley 366). Children are inundated with advertising for high calorie junk food and fast food, and, predictably, 15 percent of U.S. children aged 6 to 19 are now overweight (Ackley 366). Commercialism promotes future negative effects and consumers don’t realize it.

    Read More

  • Censorship is Not an Effective Way to Protect Children

    1912 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...Kids Points of View: Internet Censorship." 2011. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 21 March 2012.

    Read More

  • Childhood Innocence In Harrison Bergeron And The Road

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Peter Tait’s article, “Preserving childhood innocence” he discusses how it influences the way social media has corrupted the innocence of youth. It is very easy to Google search and find anything in the blink of an eye. But, just because the information is readily available does not mean that it is a good idea to take advantage of it all at once. Parents often struggle raising their children in today’s society in which kids have much more exposure to content that is not age appropriate than the past generation had at their age. Today’s generation can be overstimulated by the kind and amount of information at their fingertips as they stumble upon it. Burdens of adult life are being unknowingly placed on kids who have not yet reached, or are just reaching, adolescence. This often leads to long-term negative psychological and social effects on children if they are prematurely exposed. Most information on the Internet is unfiltered which is often why it is often called “overexposed”. Without filtration, anyone can pull up inappropriate or false information without being aware of its inaccuracy. This includes anything from inappropriate pictures to hateful comments to uncensored language. When absorbed by a child who does not know how to self-filter the material, it can destroy the innocence that comes with being young. The kid no longer thinks like a child and is haunted by the

    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 Effect on Childhood Obesity

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    Food advertising contributes to childhood obesity in many ways. One of them being that the food advertised is unhealthy. “The mechanism of effect of media exposure on obesity may also operate through the extensive advertising messages for unhealthy foods targeted at children.” (Agarwal, Dhanasekaran) The food advertising geared towards children makes them develop unhealthy eating habits, and choices. The advertisements are usually advertising unhealthy foods, never healthy ones. “When children watch television, they cannot escape food advertising. “Sugared snacks and drinks, cereal, and fast food advertisements respectively comprise approximately thirty-two percent, thirty-one percent, and nine percent of all advertisements marketed specifically to children.” (Termini, Roberto, Hostetter) Due to limited cognitive abilities, children view many food advertisements, and don’t really have the knowledge or capability to comprehend that the food being advertised is not healthy.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Online Media on Adolescents

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    This world has become immersed in online media from socializing on networking sites to seeking information on search engines. People of all ages have become reliant on online media, but the most engaged users are the younger, more easily impacted generations. Although there are many positive uses for online media, there are many negative uses as well. Unfortunately, it is all too easy for these negative effects to impede upon the perceptions of adolescents. Some countries have been trying to reduce this effect by expelling the inappropriate content of online media ("Influence on Children Media...”). However, in the United States, children are thrown in the waves, expected to stay afloat in this massive sea, but many are being dragged under the surface by the nefarious temptations media creates. Content that is not appropriate for the young, growing minds of children are easily accessible; a myriad of devices may be used to access this material, all at the click of a button. Without adult content filters on online media, adolescents of various ages are exposed to dangerous conceptions. A world of pornography, violence, and public humiliation lay in the user’s fingertips.

    Read More

  • Media Panics

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    A media panic or often referred to as a moral panic, is a term that describes how the media is formulating issues amongst our society. Over time, our culture has shifted and caused for many conclusions regarding media panics and the relationship between youth and the media culture. Based upon previous knowledge and course readings, I have drawn a very disturbing conclusion; this being that no matter what age, children are willing or non willingly now under surveillance to determine what kind of role media is playing in their lives. With what I have gathered from the readings and class lectures, most authors strongly believe that different forms of media directly influence children's thinking or perception. What authors and researchers continue to imply is that there is a direct correlation to what youth today see on different forms of media and their behaviours. However, it is important to remember that children are humans as well and do have a mind of their owns. Our society cannot assume that these media panics ultimately take away their ability to think on their own and develop into mature individuals. The first media panic I will discuses is how video games have developed a relationship with violence amongst our children. The second media panic is the sexual objectification of young women online.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Social Influence On Human Development

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    Young people especially the teenagers are sensitive and receptive to learning new things. The media provides more than they can handle. Access to different programs, shows, and movies affect the manner that the teenagers behave. Today, it is unfortunate to say that the media is becoming more sexual and violent than the older days, resulting in similar behaviors among the teens (Craig, & Baucum, 2001). By watching programs intended for the adults, teenagers are drifting even further. They start behaving like adults without the prerequisites of becoming one. This means that they have contents that do not match with their ages. And then terrible things begin – increased college dropouts, teenage pregnancies, and increased cases of suicides. Some teenagers who had bright future ahead of them will

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects of Advertising on Children

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    What are some the implications media is having on the youth of today? Are parents competing with sophisticated physiologically designed media to keep their children healthy and safe? How and why does advertisement influence the social, physical, cognitive, and moral development of young children? The major influence in the social construct of moral and cognitive development of an individual is the family. Due to the influences on the youth of today, parents need to be more aware, and combat the effects of advertising on children.

    Read More

  • Advertising and Its Impact on Children

    1554 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... Dittman also stated that “the average child is bombarded with more than 40,000 TV. commercials a year” (Dittman, 2004). The campaigns shown on TV persuade children to feel that They desperately need the product and that they have to nag their parents into buying it. product for them, or they will be left out of the cool crowd.

    Read More

  • Advertising to Children Must Be Banned

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a little girl I loved watching television shows on Saturday mornings. I’d get upset when a show would proceed to commercial. That is until I watched the shiny new toy being played with by the girl my age and of course the cool new one that came into the happy meal, then I’d forget. After seeing the appealing commercial I’d run to my mom and try to slickly mention it. “You know McDonalds has a new Monster’s Inc. toy in their happy meal. Isn’t that great? “Now I realize that back then I was targeted by big companies to beg my parents for things that I didn’t need or that wasn’t good for me in order to make money. Advertising today is affecting the health of today’s children because they eat the unhealthy foods advertised to them on: television, the internet, and even at school. Therefore, an impassioned discussion of possible solutions has been brewing.

    Read More

  • The Media Should Be Censored

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    Media has become a very powerful tool. The combination between television, internet and videogames and more have blended in with many of our life styles despite how different we are. But at the same time there are many exposures by the media that shouldn’t be out there, causing young people to behave negatively. Many younger kids get their influence from television programs, such as violent cartoons, music videos, and movies. The content and language used in these media categories can cause a child or teen to use the same kind of language against another teen, an elder, and event their parent. This can result in a children using foul language against their own parent. Therefore, media shown during the day time should be censored to minimize the exposure young kids have to explicated co...

    Read More

  • The Exploitation Of Children In Television Advertising

    4398 Words  | 9 Pages

    Across America in homes, schools, and businesses, sits advertisers' mass marketing tool, the television, usurping freedoms from children and their parents and changing American culture. Virtually an entire nation has surrendered itself wholesale to a medium for selling. Advertisers, within the constraints of the law, use their thirty-second commercials to target America's youth to be the decision-makers, convincing their parents to buy the advertised toys, foods, drinks, clothes, and other products. Inherent in this targeting, especially of the very young, are the advertisers; fostering the youth's loyalty to brands, creating among the children a loss of individuality and self-sufficiency, denying them the ability to explore and create but instead often encouraging poor health habits. The children demanding advertiser's products are influencing economic hardships in many families today. These children, targeted by advertisers, are so vulnerable to trickery, are so mentally and emotionally unable to understand reality because they lack the cognitive reasoning skills needed to be skeptical of advertisements. Children spend thousands of hours captivated by various advertising tactics and do not understand their subtleties.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects of Mass Media on Teenagers

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses” (Thinkexist, 2010). The mass media, including news, movies, magazines, music, or other entertainment source has become a part of daily life for many people. As the quote mentions mass media and its power are capable of influencing people’s mind and behavior. Contents in the media introduced to young people make it difficult for them to distinguish between what is real and what is not, as a result stimulating confusion and blind imitation. The mass media plays an important role in the increase of violence, sexual activity, and risky behaviors among teenagers.

    Read More

More about Advertising and Our Children

Open Document