Effects of advertising on children

Effects of advertising on Children

The advertising industry spends $12 billion per year on ads targeted to children, using persuasive messages through media such as television and the Internet. According to studies, a child is exposed to over 40,000 TV commercials a year.

It is thought to be unethical for marketers to target their advertising toward children, however we see advertising everyday that is geared toward children. Children in America spend more time in front of the television than they do in school. Studies have shown that children recall ads on television whether it is a commercial for a toy or a product placement in a movie.

There are thoughts of creating laws to prohibit advertising marketed towards children. In Europe, there are regulation laws on advertising toward children:
a. it shall not directly exhort minors to buy a product or a service by exploiting their inexperience or credulity;
b. it shall not directly encourage minors to persuade their parents or others to purchase the goods or services being advertised;
c. it shall not exploit the special trust minors place in parents, teachers or other persons;
d. it shall not unreasonably show minors in dangerous situations.

Could this be a solution to the problems we are facing with the effects of advertising on children today? We may never know unless we try.



http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/44282/effects_of_advertising_on_children_pg3.html?cat=35
http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/protecting.aspx