The Power of Advertising on Teens

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In today’s world, advertising reaches and influences teens in both negative and positive ways. Teens are bombarded with ads through television, teen magazines, radio, and the internet. Advertisers know teen’s buying power and their willingness to spend their money. Many companies even hire teens to be “consultants” and trendspotters. They want to know what teens are thinking and their likes and dislikes. Some feel this is a good thing and that teens are letting companies know what they want. On the other hand, many believe all this advertising to teens has a negative impact on them. Ads show models with “perfect” bodies. “Every year, the average adolescent sees over 5,000 advertisements mentioning attractiveness” (Haugen). Some feel this leads to teens having low self-esteem, while others argue that it does not have an effect. These people believe teens have the power and control in the advertising world.

Advertisements are found everywhere in today’s world. They have a big impact on what the consumer buys. Commercials are often aimed towards children and teens because they will ask their parents to buy the product. Another reason teens are targeted by advertisers is because they have money to spend and are willing to buy unnecessary products, especially if it is the latest and greatest. Teens feel that they need the newest electronics, clothing, and other luxury items.

Teens are an easy reach for advertisers. “Teens are jaded, bombarded by tons of advertising messages”(Winsor 1). There are advertisements at movie theaters, on television, and in teen magazines. Advertisers also reach teens through social media such as the internet and websites. Teens are constantly on Facebook and YouTube, whi...

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...t they have a freedom of choice and will buy clothes and items that appeal to their own eyes and clothes that look good on them. Many teens have personal styles and their choice of clothes is based on that style and not what an advertisement is telling them to look like.

People may not agree on whether advertising has a negative or positive effect on teens, but they do agree that teens are targeted in the advertisement world. Teens see so much advertising that some do not even notice it because there is so much of it. Because of how easy it is to reach teens and the amount of money in the teen marketplace, advertisers will continue to focus on them. Advertisers try to discover early on teen’s likes and wants. They hope to influence the teens while the teens feel that they influence the marketplace and ultimately have the freedom of choice and buying power.

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