There was a little child who bumped on an advertisement for wines in the TV. The novelty and thrill of the advertisement caught his attention so much that he purposed to taste the wine. He searched for collections of wines in their house. Once he had found it, he took it. It was his first time to take alcohol. Unfortunately, he felt uncomfortable because he got alcohol intoxication. Today, ads surround us, in restrooms, buses, restaurants, and many other places. The question is, ‘Do advertisements affect young people? Are there measures that can be taken to avert or promote the effects of these ads, especially for the children?
Ads tend to subject children’s brains and their behavior to measures of success that are incompatible and in contrast, with the ones, the community upholds (Musemeche par.10). According to Klass, advertisements seek to elicit the trust of its audience but have nothing to do with developing friends (par.3). She identifies a longitudinal cohort study by Dr.Grenard on the effects of alcohol ads on 4000 adolescents from 7th – 10th grade. The study established that alcohol ads not only contributed to their indulgence in alcohol but also led to other side effects. For instance, it led to higher-level problems such as getting drunk, engaging in fights, and missing school (Klass par.4).
Advertisements of luxury, electronic products, wristwatch among other products provoke a sense of pursuit in young people, following the Joneses psychology. Joneses psychology hinges on the idea that people’s success and wellbeing is on material things. Hence, the more one possesses, the more successful they are. According to the Joneses psychology, consumerism sets people on a craze for material things even when they cannot afford them. Moreover, it is intimately tied to psychology of overspending and dissipation. Spending habits are easy to get into but hard to leave and are not always beneficial. They end up accumulating credits by spending more than they earn (Balance Track par.4).
Modern advertisements take the subtle forms of TV shows and movies, online games, social media and the internet (Klass par.3). Some of these advertisements contain suggestive and obscene undertones containing sexual messages. Examples of suggestive ads include underwear ads, condoms, and certain soaps. Young people who are morally inexperienced, therefore, get inadvertently exposed to these messages. Consequently, they are set on a trajectory of moral decadence and deviation from sacred norms.
Jennifer Harris, the personnel manager of marketing initiatives at the Yale Rudd Centre for Food Policy and Obesity, conducted a study of the results of food advertisements on children. The study revealed that American teenagers and children see an average of between 12-14 food ads daily. According to Dr.Harris, the top four products that these advertisements market are candy, fast foods, sugary drinks, and sugared cereals (Klass par.7). Later studies by Rudd center showed that in 2011, six-eleven year olds viewed an average annual number of seven hundred cereal-ads. The preschoolers saw an average of 595. Moreover, the study placed the amount of money that cereal companies spent on child-targeted advertisements at $264 million in 2011. The expenditure was a thirty-four percent increase from 2008. Other studies revealed that children tended to eat more unhealthy foods as they grew older and exercised more control over their diet choices, especially during their teenage years (Musemeche par.5).
According to Musemeche, a pediatric surgeon, children-directed advertising catalyzes the obesity epidemic among children. Thus, banning fast-food ads to children can significantly lower obesity levels. Quebec imposed a 32-year ban on food ads targeting children. Consequently, it resulted in a thirteen percent reduction in expenditures on fast foods. Additionally, there was a decrease of between two and four billion of the calories that children consumed. As a result, Quebec has the lowest childhood obesity rates in Canada (Musemeche par.3).
In view of the adverse effects of advertisements, various corrective measures need to be put in place. It is essential for parents to pay close attention to what their children watch. They should minimize screen time and if possible be with their children as they watch TV. Moreover, it is prudent for parents to ask their children reasons for their demand for certain things from them. They should not out rightly refuse them prima facie (Klass par.18). Parents should seek awareness of the kinds of ads their children are exposed to. They can support and lobby for legislation that curtail children-centered fast-food ads. Moreover, they should provide better alternatives to fast foods and cereals. In addition, they should take measures to manage their children’s exposure to such ads (Musemeche par.8).
Corporations can also join in the fight against destructive ads. For example, the Walt Disney Company set nutritional standards for products being advertised on child-focused radio stations, television channels, and Web sites (Musemeche par 9). Recognition of the consequences of tobacco and alcohol consumption to young people led to the restriction and even the banning of such ads in some areas. The society should pay attention to the long-range effects of advertising (Musemeche par.10).
Ads continue to affect people of all calibers and age groups. One way or the other affects parents and children alike. Young people should take precautionary measures to alleviate the unconscious effects of modern ads. The Media should make efforts to reduce ads that harm young people. They promote charity and positive advertising, which advocate constructive ideas and products in socially sensitive manner.
Works cited
Balance Track. “Keeping Up With The Joneses.” The psychology of spending. 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
Klass, Perri. “How Advertising Targets Our Children.” The New York Times 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
Musemeche, Catherine. “Ban on Advertising to Children Linked to Lower Obesity Rates.” The New York Times 13 Jul. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
