Izzy Keller
ik926119@ohio.edu
Image from UConn Today
Each day, parents turn on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and other family-friendly channels for their kids to enjoy. Advertising between or during shows has always been a factor when sitting a child down to watch television; however, most parents may not think of this exposure's impact on children. According to the American Psychological Association, kids cannot tell advertising and television programs apart until they are four to five years old. The same article says that kids cannot understand the persuasive nature of advertisements until they are seven or eight years old. When the layperson thinks of toxic advertising for children, they may think of advertisements for alcohol or tobacco, sexually charged ads, or maybe even ads for pharmaceuticals. However, advertising for electronics, unhealthy foods, and fast foods can be equally bad for young children.
Although alcohol and cigarette ads are not prevalent for children to view, they serve as a great example of advertisements' impact on children. The article "How Advertising Targets Our Children" by Dr. Perri Klass for The New York Times. Klass discusses how cigarettes and alcohol advertisements influence children and how that impacts future use by citing research that shows a connection between viewing alcohol ads and underage drinking. According to the Federal Trade Commission, they can do little to mitigate alcohol ads being shown to children; however, they claim many alcohol advertisers have agreed to specific guidelines to prevent alcohol ads on children's programming.
Fast food restaurants heavily cater to young children. For example, think about the McDonald's Happy Meal, the Chik-Fil-A play palaces, and the crowns Burger King used to give children who bought a meal. Additionally, many sugary and unhealthy foods advertise directly to children with the hopes they coax their parents into buying this unhealthy food. Take the Trix brand, which made yogurt and cereal, as an example. Their slogan, "Trix are for kids!" made it obvious who they had in mind for their advertising. Their cereal and yogurt had loads of sugar; however, the yogurt was discontinued in 2016, but the cereal is still on the market. Advertisements like those previously mentioned have had a noted impact on children's health.
According to the article from the American Psychological Association, "Studies have documented that a high percentage of advertisements targeting children feature candy, fast foods, and snacks and that exposure to such advertising increases consumption of these products. While consumption of non-nutritious foods per se may not be harmful, overconsumption of these products, particularly to the exclusion of healthier food, is linked to obesity and poorer health."
What is the solution to this ongoing issue: Should there be more accountability for advertisers for knowingly targeting some of the most vulnerable members of society? Or is this more of a reflection on the parents? Answers to this question vary; however, there is no doubt that children are impacted by the advertisements they see, even more so than adults.
Sources:
Image: https://today.uconn.edu/2017/06/food-advertising-kids-still-promotes-unhealthy-foods/
NYT article: https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/how-advertising-targets-our-children/?searchResultPosition=1
FTC: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0391-alcohol-advertising
APA: https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/advertising-children
Trix is discontinued: https://www.popsugar.com/food/yoplait-trix-yogurt-comeback-2021-48305765
Hi Izzy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts regarding advertising to children in your blog post! I found your insight to be very informational. Before reading your blog post, I had thought about the impacts of advertising to children in some ways. However, I had not thought of how children are unable to tell the difference between advertisements and TV programming until they reach ages four or five, as stated by the American Psychological Association. Without being able to discern a difference between the two, children may be just as influenced by advertisements for unhealthy foods and electronics as they are by the programming itself. Although parents may be attempting to put on educational and appropriate shows for their children, most may not realize the impact these advertisements between shows affect their children as well. That is why it is crucial for parents not only to monitor the actual programming they are allowing their children to watch, but what comes in between as well.
Izzy,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved what you had to say! I never thought of advertisements in that regard about unhealthy habits. As a kid, I would often find myself watching an ad for McDonald's, see the nuggets and the newest Happy Meal toy, and run to my parents immediately. Kids are far too young to decipher this for themselves.
Overall, great work. It was an excellent read that was very informative!
Hey Izzy!
ReplyDeleteGreat post all around, very informative. Really takes me back to my childhood and all the ads I certainly fell for and bothered my parents about for months. I agree with your point that the ad agencies must take more responsibility for what they produce. I also think there have been some movements, like less advertising for cigarettes, that have shown strides to protect consumers.
Hi Izzy!
ReplyDeleteI really like your post. When I was younger, I remember there being ads but only because they interrupted the cartoon I was watching. I liked your point about how the ads that are for cigarettes and alcohol were not available to children but that the ads that were shown to them were just as harmful. I want to add that these ads are a gateway to others about cigarettes and alcohol however. I do agree with your ending paragraph though, especially your last sentence. Kids are most definitely effected by advertisements and the advertisers should be held responsible for what they're showing their audience.
-Helena Kalantzis
This is a super well-researched and effectively presented blog post, Izzy. I think you used some great examples and research, too. "Trix are for kids" is a slogan that still sticks in my brain, despite the fact that I am... not really a kid anymore. I will state as a counterargument that there was a push for more health-oriented advertisements as time went on. I do recall that Michelle Obama was on a few commercials on kid's TV channels, as well as Honeynut Cherrio's "part of a balanced breakfast" slogan. It doesn't negate the sugary advertisements, but I think it provides a fuller picture.
ReplyDelete