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Children are the most susceptible to advertising. They are the most susceptible because their minds are immature and are unable to distinguish good advertising versus bad advertising. For that reason, there are laws and established organizations to protect children from advertising. Commercials, the effects of advertising on children, laws and organizations on television, and laws and organizations on the internet that help protect children are important in understanding how advertising affects children. Television commercials have a huge impact on how it affects children. Commercials are the biggest form of advertisement geared toward children.
Children between the ages of two and eleven view well over 20, 000 television commercials yearly, and that breaks down to 150 to 200 hours (National Institute on Media and the Family, 1998). Television advertisements geared towards children have the biggest market by far. The advertising market in 1997 showed that children under twelve years of age spent well over twenty-four millions dollars of their own money on products they saw on television. Advertising also influenced the spending of over one hundred and eighty-eight billion dollars more (Kanner & Kasser, 1998). Kanner and Kasser go on to say that advertisers have even hired psychologists as consultants to help the advertisers come up with fine-tuned commercials that attract children (1998). In 1999, a group of psychologists wrote to the American Psychological Association asking them to restrict the use of psychological research by advertisers to help sell their products to children.
This letter also called for, an ongoing campaign to probe, review and confront the use of psychological research in advertising and marketing to children (Hays 1999). This letter wants the American Psychological Association to promote strategies that shield children from the manipulation and exploitation that psychologists when helping advertisers market their products to children. There is no end is sight for the finely tuned advertising child market. Some child advertisers boldly admit that the commercials they use exploit children and create conflicts within the family (Kanner & Kasser, 1998). Kanner and Kasser go on to say that, advertisers also work very hard to increase their products nag factor. This term often refers to how often children pressure their parents to buy the item they saw advertised on television (1998).
Gender roles are another topic that commercials show. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, gender bias currently favors boys over girls in most advertisements. It also says that girls are more likely to show an interest in boys products, than boys would be in girls products. In addition, advertisers favor using boys in their commercials, even when the commercial is showing a gender-neutral product (1998). Since there are a large number of commercials aimed towards children, stereotypical behaviors in advertisements have a tremendous impact on how children view themselves. It also influences them to think about what they are able to do and what the commercial says they can do.
According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, some typical gender role stereotypes advertised in commercials are as follows. Commercials that had boys often showed them in a non-home setting, showed them engaging in anti-social behavior, and showed them using more products in different activities than girls. Commercials with girls only, were more likely to be set in a home and girls in commercials only show socially acceptable behaviors (1998). The role of girls has changed from advertisements in the past because girls were shown doing only passive activities. Girls in commercials today are doing both passive and active activities.
Gender role stereotyping in commercials often times influence children in a negative way. Television commercials have a huge impact on how it affects children. The effects on advertising to children can be very noticeable. There have been numerous studies done that document that children under eight years old are unable to understand the intent of advertisements developmentally, therefore they accept the advertising claims as true (Shelov, S. , et. al. , 1995). The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to say that children under the age of eight cannot distinguish commercial advertisements from regular television programming.
In addition, advertisers have become sneaky about the way they convey their product (Shelov, S. , et. al. , 1995). For example, when the announcer says, some assembly required for a toy, it is at the end of the commercial and the announcer speaks very quickly. Sometimes, the disclaimers are written in small print and shown at the end of the commercial, and are not understood by most young children.
Excessive television viewing often times causes higher obesity rates among children. Children often see foods that are high in fat and calories advertised on television and end up consuming too much of these foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the barrage of advertising for food and toys to children may result in the increased number of conflicts between parents and children. The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that, advertising directed toward children is inherently deceptive and exploits children under eight years of age (Shelov, S. , et. al. , 1995, p. 296).
Cigarette advertisements are an area that is need of change. In 1988, teenagers alone spent well over $ 1. 26 billions on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco (Shelov, S. , et. al. , 1995). This number has rose significantly since 1988, and continues to rise rapidly. Although there is an advertisement ban of cigarettes on television, logos and billboards are prominent in televised sports.
This makes television advertising of cigarettes very prominent. There were two studies down in the early 1990 s on cigarette advertisements. This study looked at how familiar children were with the Old Joe Camel logo on Camel cigarettes. These studied revealed that nearly one third of three-year-old children, and almost all of the children over the age of six could identify the Joe Camel logo. By the age of six, the Joe Camel logo was as familiar to children as Mickey Mouse (Shelov, S. , et. al. , 1995).
The advertising campaign for Camel cigarettes was more effective among children and adolescents than it was among adults. In 2000, a study showed that on average, eighty-two percent of children in the United States see the numerous magazine advertisements for cigarettes (Siegel, 2001). Alcohol advertisements on television are another touchy area. American children view nearly 2000 beer and wine commercials every year on television and these ads specifically target young people by showing the advantages of drinking (Shelov, S. , et. al. , 1995). There is a public health interest in trying to protect children from alcohol and cigarette advertisements.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends banning all tobacco and alcohol advertisements in the media, but some researchers believe that counter-advertising advertisements are more effective (Shelov, S. et. al, 1995). Recently though, there have been counter-advertising campaigns aimed reducing the number of young people who smoke. In 2001, the I Decide campaign starting airing on television. This anti-smoking campaign, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Public Health, is the current anti-smoking campaign in Illinois.
The I Decide advertisement air on local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and the WB networks in Winnebago, Macon, Champaign, Tazewell, Sangamon, Peoria, and McLean counties. I Decide advertisements also run on the following cable networks, ESPN, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, and TBS (Illinois Department of Health, 2002). Alcohol and cigarette advertisements are still around and promote the wrong message to children. The effects on advertising to children can be very noticeable. There are laws and organizations out there help protect children from advertisers in the television industry. Advertising is a powerful took in American culture today; it exists solely to sell products and services.
Advertising to children has not always been legal. In 1750 BC, the Code of Hammurabi made it a crime to sell anything to a child without obtaining consent (Shelov, S. et. al, 1995). Things in the advertising industry have changed significantly since then. In 1978, Michael Pertschuk, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, tried to restrict television advertisements aimed at children under thirteen.
Due to a ferocious lobbying campaign, his proposal did not pass (Kanner & Kasser, 1998). In the last fifteen years or so, there have been a few laws passed about advertising to children on television. The Childrens Television Act of 1990 mandated that all broadcasters must show either educational or instructional childrens programming in order to renew their broadcasting license. This act also limits commercial time to ten and a half minutes per hour on weekends, and twelve minutes per hour on weekdays (Shelov, S.
et. al, 1995). Shelov and others continue on to say that, the main problem with this law is that television stations can cite public service announcements to fulfill the Childrens Television Act. They also said that this Act also established the Childrens Television Endowment Fund, which encourages the development of new educational programming for children (1995). There is currently an organization called the Childrens Advertising Review Unit (CARU) that is part of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. CARU reviews advertising and any promotional materials directed at children in the media (Council of Better Business Bureau, 2000).
The Council of the Better Business Bureau continues on to say that Caru's main duties are to review and evaluate child-directed advertisements in all forms of media, and to review the online privacy practices if they affect children. If the advertisements are inconsistent or misleading with Caru's Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Childrens Advertising, they seek change through the voluntary cooperation of advertisers (2000). They work closely with advertisers to promote educational messages to children that are consistent with the Childrens Television Act of 1990. The Caru's Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising gives criteria for evaluating advertising that is child-directed. These guidelines, based on six underlying principles, are as follows. Children have a limited capacity for evaluating information.
Therefore, advertisers have a responsibility to protect young children from their own susceptibilities. Advertisers should be careful not to exploit children's imagination to create unrealistic expectations for a product. Advertisers should know that children could learn practices from advertising that could affect their health and well-being. Because advertising can influence childrens behavior, advertisers should provide examples of positive social behavior. Advertising should also avoid social stereotyping and prejudice. Although there are many things that influence a child's personal and social development, parents should feel responsible to provide guidance for children.
Advertisers should also help contribute to this parent-child relationship in a constructive manner (Council of Better Business Bureau, 2000). There continues to be many more organizations out there that help protect children from advertisements. Until advertisers stop targeting children, there will always be a need for organizations that help protect children from advertisements. The Internet is one area that children are at risk the most. There is very important law that helps protect children on the Internet. In April 2000, the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) took effect.
This Act says that if any personable identifiable information about a child under thirteen years of age is collected online, a privacy notice must be posted (Federal Trade Commission, 2000). Website operators must also get parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing any personally identifiable information. In addition, this Act allows parents to review any personal identifiable information collected from their children. When the parents review their childs personal information, they have the right to revoke their consent and ask that the information they collected about their child be deleted from that website (Federal Trade Commission, 2000). The Federal Trade Commission also says that site operators are required to list any third parties that the website operator gives information to about a child.
If the list of third parities changes, the website operator must have parental consent again (2000). The Center for Media Education (CME) is an organization that is dedicated to protecting children online by visiting websites to make sure that the COPPA rules are being enforced. CME is a national nonprofit organization, which dedicates itself to creating quality electronic media culture for children and youth, for their families, and for the community. Their research focuses on the potential for children and youth in this rapidly evolving digital media age. Over the years, CME has been the leading force in expanding both children's educational television programming and fostering television and Internet safeguard for children and teens (Center for Media Education, 2001). The Internet is an area that is growing rapidly, and is one area where children are the most vulnerable to advertising.
Children are the most susceptible to advertising because of their minds too immature to distinguish good advertising versus bad advertising. For that reason, there are laws and organizations dedicated to protecting children from advertising. Commercials, the effects of advertising on children, laws and organizations on television, and laws and organizations on the internet that help protect children are important in understanding how advertising affects children. Children will continue to be bombarded with advertisements and there will always be a need for organizations to help protect them. Bibliography: Council of Better Business Bureau. (2000). About the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU).
Retrieved January 30, 2002, from web Federal Trade Commission. (2000). How to protect kids' privacy online. Retrieved January 31, 2002, from web Center for Media Education. (2001). About the center for media education (CME). Retrieved March 20, 2002, from Htp: // web Fox, R. F. (1996).
Harvesting minds: How TV commercials control kids. (1 st Ed. ). Connecticut: Westport. Hays, C. L. (1999, October 31). Group says ads manipulate children with psychology. New York Times, p.
C 6. Illinois Department of Health (2002). I decide. Retrieved March 20, 2002, from web Kanner, A. D. , & Kasser, T. (2000). Stuffing our kids: Should psychologists help advertisers manipulate children?
Retrieved January 30, 2002, from web Media family (1998). Childrens advertising and gender roles. Retrieved January 31, 2002, from web Media scope (2000). Children, health, and advertising.
Retrieved January 31, 2002, from web Shelov, S. , Bar-on, M. , Beard, L. , Hogan, M. , Holroyd, J. H. , Prentice, B. , Sherry, S. N. , & V. Strasburg er. (1995).
Children, adolescents, and advertising. American Academy of Pediatrics, 95 (2), 295 - 297. Siegel, M. (2001). Tobacco ads still aimed at kids, experts advise stronger protection. Ca, 51 (6), 324 - 326.
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