There are some useful and helpful websites that dedicated to the theme “advertising and children”. One of them is Don’t Buy It that offers information about advertising tricks, some useful links to other web pages with different articles about ads and kids. Also in the part “Buying Smart” you find some tips how to be critical or think critically about ads by asking yourself questions such as “How do the actors using the product look? Do you think the product could make you happy or popular?”. In addition, the web page is very colorful and has nice and funny design that makes it more interesting not only to adults but also to children to visit and search.
Another good web page is MediaWise from National Institute on Media and the Family. There you can find latest news, research, and facts about everything that related to media including Advertising and Children. Parents can participate in discussions with other parents; get free parent guides if they click the section Get Involved. Different videos, useful tips and advices are offered in this web page.
Children meet with advertising everywhere and all the time that make them very vulnerable to commercials appeals. This exposure to commercials is harmful for children, but we can lessen ads influence through active participation in explaining the main purpose of commercials to children. We would like to recommend the web page PBS Parents that is created to help parents better communicate with their kids. Parents can find there information how help their children to avoid stress in learning new skills such as reading or writing, to develop creativity in children and make them to be interested in eating healthy food. In the part Issues and Advice is section Children and Media, parents can find good tips how to educate children of different ages be more conscious about advertising and its appeals. Also there parents can select the age of their child and find more information how to make child more media savvy in the particular stage of development.
понедельник, 29 декабря 2008 г.
Marketing to Children
This video was taken from YouTube.com and it illustrates how advertisers and psychologists work together to create more influential ads for kids.
воскресенье, 28 декабря 2008 г.
Academic essay
Nowadays, advertising is an inevitable part of modern society that penetrates into human life through different mediums of media. From television programs, movies to billboards and from the internet to print media and video games, advertisers try to catch our attention and influence our buyer behaviors with intention to meet their objectives. These objectives most of the time are to sell products or services and increase the profit. Advertisers seek, develop and use different strategies and techniques that enable them to catch customers’ attention, get to their minds and finally influence their behaviors and attitudes in a way that is suitable for advertisers. This is really important to notice and realize that children are becoming one of the main lucrative target audiences for advertisers because they can be easily influenced by ads and they actually influence most of the purchases of their families. According to research “young children-younger than 8 years-are cognitively and psychologically defenseless against advertising”(Strasburger) and they do not understand the real purpose of advertising. Children become victims of advertising that sways their behaviors, unfortunately, in the negative way. Consequences of such exposure can be children obesity, low self-esteem as a result of framing the body image in ads, consumption of unhealthy food and shaping good attitudes towards bad habits such as drinking and smoking.
Only on TV, children are exposed to 40 000 ads per year and learn behaviors that can be harmful for them (Strasburger). For example, children obesity is one of the problems that caused by fast-food advertising. This was proved from examination of children from 3 to 8 years old that they ask for junk-food as many times as they have seen television advertising of this food (“Television's Influence”). The study conducted by researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research undoubtedly demonstrates that a ban of fast-food advertising will help to lower the percentage of overweight children by 18 percent in the United States (Lehigh University). Another negative effect of advertising on children is the increasing alcohol consumption. Even though advertisers claim that alcohol ads can influence only people who already drink and cannot prompt children to drink, researchers found strong correlation between increasing child’s consumption of alcohol products and alcohol advertising (University of Florida). Also they found that due to advertising, children have the positive attitude towards alcohol consumption.
Next negative point about advertising is child’s smoking. Many studies demonstrate that children’s smoking is tied with tobacco advertising. Also children who exposed to tobacco ads have more change to be smokers as adults (Strasburger).
Advertising that portrays good-looking and very thin females as the model of beauty influence young girls’ perception about themselves and their appearance. According to a study “69% of girls […] said that magazine models influence their idea of the perfect body shape” (“Eating Disorders”). Children, especially, girls become depressed when they compare themselves with thin models and cannot attain the same thinness. This depression can be the first step to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia that can lead to dramatic consequences and even to death. For instance, in 1996 researchers from the international ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi discovered that “advertising media may adversely impact women's body image, which can lead to unhealthy behavior as women and girls strive for the ultra-thin body idealized by the media” (“Eating Disorders”).
Advertising is the powerful tool that uses different tricks and stopping powers to catch people's attention. It influences behaviors of adults as like as children’s ones. However, children cannot think critically as adults and evaluate the ads and do not realize the real purpose of advertising by taking its appeals as serious values. Because of this fact, parents and educators should explain, teach and discuss different types of ads with children with a purpose to safe them from harmful and dangerous impacts that advertising can have on them.
References:
Strasburger, C. Victor. “Children, Adolescents, and Advertising Committee on Communications.” Pediatrics 118 (2006): 2563-2569. Retrieved December 28, 2008, < http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/6/2563 >
“Television's Influence on Children's Diet and Physical Activity.” J Dev Behav Pediatr (1989): 176-80. Retrieved December 27, 2008, < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2768484?dopt=Abstract >
Lehigh University (2008, November 29). “Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 28, 2008, < http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119120149.htm >
University of Florida (2007, June 28). “Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 28, 2008,
“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising.” Eating Disorders Community. Retrieved December 22, 2008,
Only on TV, children are exposed to 40 000 ads per year and learn behaviors that can be harmful for them (Strasburger). For example, children obesity is one of the problems that caused by fast-food advertising. This was proved from examination of children from 3 to 8 years old that they ask for junk-food as many times as they have seen television advertising of this food (“Television's Influence”). The study conducted by researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research undoubtedly demonstrates that a ban of fast-food advertising will help to lower the percentage of overweight children by 18 percent in the United States (Lehigh University). Another negative effect of advertising on children is the increasing alcohol consumption. Even though advertisers claim that alcohol ads can influence only people who already drink and cannot prompt children to drink, researchers found strong correlation between increasing child’s consumption of alcohol products and alcohol advertising (University of Florida). Also they found that due to advertising, children have the positive attitude towards alcohol consumption.
Next negative point about advertising is child’s smoking. Many studies demonstrate that children’s smoking is tied with tobacco advertising. Also children who exposed to tobacco ads have more change to be smokers as adults (Strasburger).
Advertising that portrays good-looking and very thin females as the model of beauty influence young girls’ perception about themselves and their appearance. According to a study “69% of girls […] said that magazine models influence their idea of the perfect body shape” (“Eating Disorders”). Children, especially, girls become depressed when they compare themselves with thin models and cannot attain the same thinness. This depression can be the first step to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia that can lead to dramatic consequences and even to death. For instance, in 1996 researchers from the international ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi discovered that “advertising media may adversely impact women's body image, which can lead to unhealthy behavior as women and girls strive for the ultra-thin body idealized by the media” (“Eating Disorders”).
Advertising is the powerful tool that uses different tricks and stopping powers to catch people's attention. It influences behaviors of adults as like as children’s ones. However, children cannot think critically as adults and evaluate the ads and do not realize the real purpose of advertising by taking its appeals as serious values. Because of this fact, parents and educators should explain, teach and discuss different types of ads with children with a purpose to safe them from harmful and dangerous impacts that advertising can have on them.
References:
Strasburger, C. Victor. “Children, Adolescents, and Advertising Committee on Communications.” Pediatrics 118 (2006): 2563-2569. Retrieved December 28, 2008, < http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/6/2563 >
“Television's Influence on Children's Diet and Physical Activity.” J Dev Behav Pediatr (1989): 176-80. Retrieved December 27, 2008, < http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2768484?dopt=Abstract >
Lehigh University (2008, November 29). “Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 28, 2008, < http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119120149.htm >
University of Florida (2007, June 28). “Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink.” ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 28, 2008,
“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising.” Eating Disorders Community. Retrieved December 22, 2008,
пятница, 26 декабря 2008 г.
Body Image and Advertising
At present, advertising is powerful enough to influence and change adult’s behavior and it is not surprising that it can more easily change children’s perception about world and their role in it. One of negative ways how advertising influence children is the way of shaping their views about their appearancies and bodies that is mostly resulted in the dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
According to the article “Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”, most of commercials promote mainly the beauty and its importance in woman’s and girl’s life. For instance, the study that examined toy advertising illustrates that “50% of commercials aimed at girls spoke about physical attractiveness” (“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”). With a purpose to “drive product consumption”, advertisers “normalize unrealistically thin bodies” images in ads that surround girls in modern society. All these images can lead to harmful consequences such as exercising abnormal diets, smoking, different eating disorders and anxiety. “The number one wish for girls ages 11 to 17 is to be thinner, and girls as young as five have expressed fears of getting fat. Eighty percent (80%) of 10-year-old girls have dieted” (“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”).
Although “body image” is the main prerogative of girls, nowadays boys also show their dissatisfaction of their bodies. Boys begin to worry about “their physical appearance as advertising […] raise the standard and idealize well-built men” that lead to “increase in obsessive weight training and the use of anabolic steroids and dietary supplements that promise bigger muscles or more stamina for lifting"(“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”). Because of the fact that commercials which promote and emphasize “unattained perfect body image” can be found everywhere, we need to realize and understand their harmful consequences on children and teach them to think about ads critically.
According to the article “Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”, most of commercials promote mainly the beauty and its importance in woman’s and girl’s life. For instance, the study that examined toy advertising illustrates that “50% of commercials aimed at girls spoke about physical attractiveness” (“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”). With a purpose to “drive product consumption”, advertisers “normalize unrealistically thin bodies” images in ads that surround girls in modern society. All these images can lead to harmful consequences such as exercising abnormal diets, smoking, different eating disorders and anxiety. “The number one wish for girls ages 11 to 17 is to be thinner, and girls as young as five have expressed fears of getting fat. Eighty percent (80%) of 10-year-old girls have dieted” (“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”).
Although “body image” is the main prerogative of girls, nowadays boys also show their dissatisfaction of their bodies. Boys begin to worry about “their physical appearance as advertising […] raise the standard and idealize well-built men” that lead to “increase in obsessive weight training and the use of anabolic steroids and dietary supplements that promise bigger muscles or more stamina for lifting"(“Eating Disorders: Body Image and Advertising”). Because of the fact that commercials which promote and emphasize “unattained perfect body image” can be found everywhere, we need to realize and understand their harmful consequences on children and teach them to think about ads critically.
суббота, 20 декабря 2008 г.
Current event # 1
According to ScienceDaily News, the study conducted by researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research illustrates the link between fast-foot bans and positive reduction of overweight children (“Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows”). The study was published in the Journal of Law and Economics in November 2008 and claimed that the rate of overweight children may decline in the United States by 18 percent if fast food advertisements are going to be banned.
This study was based on the 1979 Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that examined behaviors of 13,000 children towards TV commercials. After exploring and calculating the amount of hours of fast food advertising and children who watch these ads, researchers found interesting facts. They found that a ban of such ads will be resulted in the reduction of the number of overweight children, who are from 3 to 11 years old, by 18 percent and children, who are from 12 to 18 years old, by 14 percent in the United States (“Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows”).
According to Michael Grossman, economist from City University of New York Graduate Center and who also participated in the study, the study clearly shows the strong correlation between watching food commercials and increasing numbers of overweight children. This study once again indicates that advertising in general and TV commercial in particular influence children’s eating habits in the negative way. Children not only become more passive, but they also consume more and more of unhealthy fast food that is high in sugar and fat. All these patterns can lead to the situation when children become overweight and finally obese. And unfortunately, obesity is not the final point; only in the United States “over 300,000 deaths can be attributed to obesity and weight” (“Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows”).
This study was based on the 1979 Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth that examined behaviors of 13,000 children towards TV commercials. After exploring and calculating the amount of hours of fast food advertising and children who watch these ads, researchers found interesting facts. They found that a ban of such ads will be resulted in the reduction of the number of overweight children, who are from 3 to 11 years old, by 18 percent and children, who are from 12 to 18 years old, by 14 percent in the United States (“Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows”).
According to Michael Grossman, economist from City University of New York Graduate Center and who also participated in the study, the study clearly shows the strong correlation between watching food commercials and increasing numbers of overweight children. This study once again indicates that advertising in general and TV commercial in particular influence children’s eating habits in the negative way. Children not only become more passive, but they also consume more and more of unhealthy fast food that is high in sugar and fat. All these patterns can lead to the situation when children become overweight and finally obese. And unfortunately, obesity is not the final point; only in the United States “over 300,000 deaths can be attributed to obesity and weight” (“Ban On Fast Food TV Advertising Would Reverse Childhood Obesity Trends, Study Shows”).
пятница, 12 декабря 2008 г.
понедельник, 8 декабря 2008 г.
Alcohol Ads
According to the article “Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink” in ScienceDaily, outdoor ads prompt adolescents to drink alcohol and make them think positively about alcohol consumption. University of Florida and University of Minnesota conducted the study by counting the number of outdoor ads that advertised alcohol products near 63 Chicago schools and interviewing students about their opinions of alcohol products. After exploring different types of ads, researchers counted 931 alcohol ads around the schools. The students who saw more alcohol advertising near their schools had more positive views about drinking and had no doubts for not drinking. (“Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink”)
Advertisers usually claim that alcohol ads may only influence people who already have some experience with drinking and cannot affect non-drinking child’s behavior towards alcohol consumption. However, UF epidemiologist Kelli A. Komro said "Among those kids who were not drinking, we still found the association between exposure to the outdoor ads and increased intentions to use alcohol. The ads are working even for the kids who are not drinking." (“Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink”) From this study, we can already see that advertising is very powerful tool that influences children’s behaviors and changes their perceptions about the world around them. So with the purpose to protect our children, government and society should ban such advertising, at least near places that are most visited by children such as school areas.
Advertisers usually claim that alcohol ads may only influence people who already have some experience with drinking and cannot affect non-drinking child’s behavior towards alcohol consumption. However, UF epidemiologist Kelli A. Komro said "Among those kids who were not drinking, we still found the association between exposure to the outdoor ads and increased intentions to use alcohol. The ads are working even for the kids who are not drinking." (“Outdoor Alcohol Ads Boost Kids' Urge To Drink”) From this study, we can already see that advertising is very powerful tool that influences children’s behaviors and changes their perceptions about the world around them. So with the purpose to protect our children, government and society should ban such advertising, at least near places that are most visited by children such as school areas.
суббота, 6 декабря 2008 г.
Introduction
Hello everybody who visits the blog “Advertising in the lives of children” !!!
Nowadays, advertising is the inevitable part of modern society that overwhelms different types of media. People face with numerous commercials everywhere from television programs and radio broadcasts to print media and outdoor billboards. At present time, when advertisers most of the time desire to increase their profits and develop new techniques for achieving their aims, children become one of their main target audiences. Therefore, we need to understand how exactly advertising affects our children and what consequences it may have. In this blog, we will discuss the negative effects of advertising such as children obesity, body image and consumption of unhealthy products for instance, tobacco and alcohol. We will also upload some interesting videos, articles and useful links to web cites for you to visit that relate to our theme. Thank you for your awareness about our children and advertising in their lives. Welcome to our group, dear visitor!
Nowadays, advertising is the inevitable part of modern society that overwhelms different types of media. People face with numerous commercials everywhere from television programs and radio broadcasts to print media and outdoor billboards. At present time, when advertisers most of the time desire to increase their profits and develop new techniques for achieving their aims, children become one of their main target audiences. Therefore, we need to understand how exactly advertising affects our children and what consequences it may have. In this blog, we will discuss the negative effects of advertising such as children obesity, body image and consumption of unhealthy products for instance, tobacco and alcohol. We will also upload some interesting videos, articles and useful links to web cites for you to visit that relate to our theme. Thank you for your awareness about our children and advertising in their lives. Welcome to our group, dear visitor!
Подписаться на:
Сообщения (Atom)
