Impact of advertising on children (Social)

Impact of advertising on children (Social)

Understanding Advertising

  • Children are exposed to a wide range of advertising on numerous platforms, including television, online media, and in public spaces like stores and streets.
  • Advertising literacy, the understanding of advertising’s persuasive intent, generally develops throughout childhood and is typically well-established by mid-adolescence.
  • Young children, particularly under the age of eight, are more susceptible to the persuasive messages in advertisements due to their limited cognitive ability to comprehend the difference between commercial content and entertainment.

Influence on Consumer Behaviour

  • Advertising greatly affects children’s market behaviour, influencing their product preferences and purchase requests.
  • Advertisements often employ techniques appealing to children’s emotions and imagination, such as the use of animation, popular characters, prizes and giveaways.
  • Children may influence family purchasing behaviour by pressuring their parents for advertised products, a phenomenon known as pester power.

Impacts on Health

  • A significant proportion of children’s advertising is for food and drink products, with a majority being high in sugar, salt or fat.
  • There is growing evidence linking exposure to food marketing and childhood obesity rates, suggesting that advertising can impact children’s dietary choices and eating habits.
  • Advertising exposure may lead to poorer understanding of nutrition and healthy eating norms, impacting children’s health in the long run.

Influence on Values and Perceptions

  • Advertisements can shape children’s values, perceptions and attitudes towards various aspects of life, from gender roles to lifestyles.
  • Advertising often presents a materialistic message, promoting the acquisition of products as necessary for happiness and social acceptance. This may contribute to the development of materialistic values in children.
  • Gender stereotyping and racial bias in advertising can also influence children’s perceptions about societal norms and expectations.

Ethical Considerations and Regulation

  • Advertising to children raises various ethical issues primarily pertaining to the exploitation of children’s vulnerability and innocence.
  • In response to such concerns, various forms of regulation have been put in place in different jurisdictions to limit advertising to children. These regulations mostly focus on restricting misleading claims, unhealthy food marketing, and undue influence.
  • Increasing parental mediation, fostering critical thinking, and promoting advertising literacy in children can also be part of the mitigation strategy to protect children against potentially negative advertising influences.

The Internet and Online Advertising

  • The rapid proliferation of digital media and the internet has revolutionised the way children encounter advertisements.
  • Online advertising is often interactive, personalised and blended into digital content, making it harder for children to recognise as advertising.
  • Online privacy is a growing concern, with companies collecting children’s personal data for targeted advertising.

The Role of Product Placement

  • Product placement in children’s programming and films is another indirect yet potent form of advertising to children.
  • Because this form of advertising is integrated into the entertainment content, it’s harder for children to identify it as marketed commercial content, resulting in a potential underestimation of its influence.

Remember, understanding how advertisements influence children is crucial, not just from a psychological perspective, but also in terms of public health, education, and policy.