Advertising to children

Advertising to children is the action of promoting products or services to individuals younger than thirteen years old, when it is perceived that most people can become media literate. In the United States, many children are exposed to hundreds of advertisements each day through television, internet, billboards, and print media. The rise of the internet and devices like smartphones has transformed how companies reach children in the twenty-first century. Digital platforms, including social media, online games, and other apps, have become the primary channels for advertising to young audiences, and advertisers spend billions of dollars each year ensuring their products reach children. Some countries have put restrictions or have prohibited advertisers from promoting products to children, especially those involving unhealthy foods and privacy concerns. However, businesses cannot afford to stop marketing to children because they represent a profitable market. Many government agencies, parents, teachers, and researchers have become increasingly interested in the impacts of advertising on children.

Background

Many children prefer to watch television or look on social media compared to other activities, and studies have shown that children are receiving many messages through the various forms of media. Ads targeted at children showcase toys, food, entertainment, and attire. Since businesses know that children have a great influence on how families spend money, they try hard to gain the attention of children through advertisements.

Advertising to children is a sensitive topic because most are influenced by what they see. Advertisements geared toward children have also caused concern because they promote media consumption at an early age, influence children to desire products that they may not necessarily need, and add pressure to parents to react to those ads and their children’s responses to them.

Some children are exposed to advertisements for high-fat or high-sugar food or drinks, and studies have shown that there is a link between what children see in advertisements and the lifestyle choices they make. Research indicates that children shown advertisements for healthy eating are more likely to engage in better eating habits. As the rate of childhood obesity has grown significantly during the twenty-first century, many have argued that this is partly the result of unregulated advertising to children. Advertisements, especially those that are targeted to children on social media, can also contribute to poor mental health.

Studies have demonstrated that children under the age of eight are not cognitively and psychologically competent enough to discern media messages. In 1978, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determined that advertising to children younger than six was deceitful and unethical. The Children’s Television Act was passed in 1990 and is still in effect. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated a limit on advertising time on children’s programming. In addition, the FCC requires television stations to air three hours of educational programming each week.

To regulate digital advertising and address privacy concerns, the US government passed the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in 1998. The law, enforced by the FTC, requires websites and online services aimed at children under thirteen to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children. It also mandates clear privacy policies and safeguards to protect children's data. The FTC also enforces truth-in-advertising standards to help protect children from deceptive and unfair marketing practices. A special focus has been given to food advertising, especially given rising rates of childhood obesity. The FTC promotes self-regulatory initiatives within the food marketing industry to limit the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

Overview

Advertisers have used product placement techniques in children’s programming to increase sales. To get children’s attention, advertisers will often use a popular character and connect it with their product. Advertisers also use animals, humor, bright colors, fun songs, and animation to persuade children. Sometimes children are drawn to ads because they feature other children. Children are more likely to watch these images as entertainment but have not learned the critical thinking skills needed to interpret the messages advertisers are sending to them. Instead, many young people accept the advertisements at face value and believe the products will deliver what the advertisements promise.

Advertising has grown more sophisticated in the digital age. Advertisers use complex data collection techniques to create personalized ads tailored to the preferences and online behaviors of individual children. Although companies are limited in how much data they can collect from audiences under thirteen years old, this targeted approach increases the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Furthermore, the rise in popularity of influencers on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram has introduced a new way for companies to market their products. Because children often trust and admire influencers, they have become powerful tools for promoting products.

Advertisers’ intentions also vary. Sometimes the intent of an ad is to be informational, other times it is to be persuasive. Most children are unable to discern the advertiser’s intent. Media researchers have classified five different types of intent used in advertising: entertainment, persuasion, selling, teaching, and information. However, there are some problems when trying to measure intent and children’s perceptions.

To create better awareness in advertising to children, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) was created in 1974. The CARU investigates advertising to children under the age of twelve, responds to consumer complaints, and handles inquiries from advertisers. CARU focuses on safety, promotions, product claims, sales influence, disclaimers, and endorsements. Many businesses have created stronger policies and rules concerning the communications they deliver to children.

Nevertheless, research on the effects of advertising on children has shown that the media has an impact on children. Results have indicated that advertising can affect children’s self-esteem, body perception, and attitudes about food. A large body of work has looked at the cognitive effects of advertisements. Researchers have also investigated children’s attitudes toward media messages. Moreover, research has looked at behavioral effects on children. Many of the studies have been done in North America but have expanded to other areas in the world. In light of such research, a growing trend toward creating educational and ethically responsible advertisements emerged. Companies have become increasingly aware of the impact of their marketing on children's development and have strived to promote more positive messages.

School programs developed by organizations such as the Center for Media Literacy have worked to increase children’s knowledge of advertising and media literacy. These programs teach children how to process and evaluate the images and messages found in advertisements. Media researchers have argued that if we want to help children understand the advertisements to which they are exposed, parents need to mediate and regulate their child’s consumption of these messages. Media education can be used to help equip students with the critical thinking skills needed to understand and evaluate media messages and advertisements effectively.

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