One of the principle purposes of advertisement is to influence minds of a target group in order to promote sales. However, sometimes advertisements questions when they target certain groups like children. This is because they come with certain effects on them. Unarguably, advertisements have a strong hold over the way individuals think or act. It is quite clear that the media dictates people’ needs and wants. In addition, plenty of theories prove that the media has extensive effects on children. Various creative minds that belong to advertisement agencies are frequently churning out fresh ideas on how to deliver messages to the public (Caroline Oates and Prof. Gunter Barrie, 124)
Children are one of the groups that are primarily targets for advertisers. Most advertisements aim their adverts to children. The primary motive of advertising is to convince viewers about the product and urge them to buy the same. Currently, advertisements play a crucial role in the society, and as they tend to influence young ones in particular. However, advertisements have negative influences over young minds. This is common when parents when parents are not careful on what their children watch (Kapoor Neeru, 139).
It is an obligation of parents to teach their children the importance of money and how it is difficult to earn it. In most cases, children seem to misinterpret messages in advertisements. Advertising has negative influences over the minds of children. Flashy advertisements on television, glossy images on magazines and billboards generate the urge for impulsive purchasing. A parent who is unable to deal with the growing demands or temper tantrums only seems to give in to their children’s demand. Children get accustomed to some kind of lifestyle shown on television or through other means of mass media communication.
This only creates a negative impression on their minds. This make them lose them unable to live without materialistic joys. Thus, the power of advertising cannot be ignored. For instance, a child may prefer specific pair of jeans regardless of price as compared to other types available in stores. He may want to live the kind of lifestyle projected in advertisements. Children may dictate to their parents about their personal preferences like food and toys. With these kinds of advertising effects, it is not clear on who to blame in this whole issue. Parents and guardians have a duty to take care of in this case. It is their obligation to monitor anything that influences the minds of their children. They also need to be strict with their children whenever their demands increase (Franziska Pfund, 46).
Children need to be explained to urgently that a ‘no’ is a ‘no’ and cannot be turned to a yes even with tears or brawls. Also, parents need to instill good manners that will help children to distinguish between right and wrong. The sooner it is observed, the better it would be for children and subsequently for parents as well.
According to Preiss Raymond (125) Children of ages 2-7 see approximately twelve foods adverts a day on television. In simple mathematics, over the course of one year, it translates into an average of more than four thousand adverts which is nearly thirty hours of food advertising. Children of ages 8-12 see an average of 21 food adverts a day on television. In other words, it translates to more than seven thousand six hundred adverts which are over fifty hours of food advertising. In the same capacity, Teenagers of ages 13-17 see averagely 17 food adverts a food day on television therefore translating to an average of over six thousand food adverts in a span of forty hours.
Other shocking revelations show that over fifty percent of all advertisement time children shows are for food only. The habit of eating in a child has a direct relation with cancer, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart diseases and obesity. Eating habits and food consumption among children is directly affected by television advertisements. A study conducted to examine food advertising in televisions and its influence on children, has proved that children desire to buy foods based on what they see in advertisements.
When food advertisements broadcast on televisions are carefully critically examined, it is clear that almost three quarters of these are chocolate, chips candy. Most of these are harmful to children’s health especially the dental health of a child. These foods contain high amount of sugar and fats that promote the risk of obesity. At the same time, it can be identified that there are no commercials advertising legumes, vegetables, fruits or eggs which consist proteins, minerals and vitamins, the essential elements in child growth.
According to American researchers, 43.5% of food advertisements on televisions consist of sugar and fat. This involves food like candy drinks, cakes and chocolates. It is only 1.5% of the advertisements are about nutritious food like eggs, legume, fish. More than half of the foods advertised consist of high levels of sugar and fat which is very harmful to a child’s health. Children are exposed to high amount of food advertisements that are not nutritious to their health. Some of these foods with high levels of sugar and fats cause tooth decay in children. They also increase the risk of other health conditions like obesity (Valkenburg Patricia, 122).
Children are direct targets of advertisements on television channels. Channels give time for food advertisements especially during morning hours and on the weekends. They broadcast the adverts during this time because many children watch television in the morning and during the weekends. It is also researched that children like watching television while eating foods with high levels of fat and sugar.
Negative effects of advertisements on making children want to buy more things
The power of advertisement cannot be overlooked. Studies have revealed that after a child sees a single advertisement on food, he recalls the adverts content and demands for the same product. Advertising updates children on what is new in the market. Most importantly, it increases their knowledge on the latest innovations in various fields like technology. Advertisements make children eager to buy products that are advertised in commercials. They become alerted on the latest products in the market for instance toys and food.
Children tend to develop competitions among themselves because each one of them wants to be cool and updated with the latest products. A good example is a new pair of jeans in the market. Whenever the advert is broadcasted showing the new pair of jeans, many want to be the first to have it before their colleagues do. Also, the use of movie stars to advertise in commercials creates the urge of wanting to be like the star in the commercial. For instance if Arnold Schwarzenegger shoots an advert wearing a certain type of jacket and a pair of sunglasses, every child wants to be like Schwarzenegger.
They will compel their parents to buy them the jacket and the pair of sunglasses so that they can look like him. Study reveals that after seeing an advert on television, children created a tendency of demanding the same product more that thrice. Eventually, they end up being eager customers. Another negative effect of advertising is that it corrupts the mind of a child and some become thieves and start stealing money from their parents. The behavior of stealing is alive in most teenagers who desire glossy things.
Advertisement creates disagreements between children and their parents. When products are advertised, children expect to have them immediately. Naturally, children thing that it is the obligation of the parent to buy them whatever they desire. To them, it is a right and not a favor. Whenever a child demands for a new pair of shoes, they expect to get them instantly. Many children have a mentality that their parents have money readily available whenever they need anything. It is up to every parent to educate their children well (Les Carlson and Macklin Carole, 45)
Parents should teach their children that people get money through sweating. Parents who fail to educate their children on money issues, and gives in to each and every demand from their young ones, are failures and irresponsible. Whenever children see products like new video games in the market, they inform their parents instantly. Some parents who claim to love their children so much do give in and purchase for them. Responsible parent do not even give them room to finish saying it.
They shut them instantly. Children are human beings and they reason as well. When educated earlier enough, they grow while understanding that it is not their right to receive anything from their parents whenever they demand for it. Whenever a child demands for an advertised product and a parent gives it instantly, the child develops a tendency.
At one time may the same child demand for the same as always and by bad luck may be a parent is broke, there will be no peace because the child will put it to the parent that he denied him intentionally. Eventually, the relationship between that child and parent will deteriorate beyond repair. Therefore it is wise for parents to trai8n children while still at their tender ages so as to avoid future problems. This is not to say that a parent should turn down children whenever they need anything. There are beneficial things like books parents can buy for their children.
Advertisements and children in impulsive buying
In their cognitive ability to grow up, children differ. As they grow, their attitude towards television advertisements changes with time. This is based on descriptive and exploratory conducted. The known effects of advertising on children and their buying behavior range from creating awareness specific services or products that influence their buying decision. Ads can create shifts in thinking by children-consumers which forces them to take different forms. For instance, after seeing a product in an advertisement, children tend to ditch their usual product for the newly advertised.
Another aspect that entices children is the use of statistics and facts. The use of facts and statistics easily convinces a child to switch from their usual brands. For example, if a new manufacturer announces some additions like serving soup with full of vegetables in all portions, it can affect many children. The next time they visit food stores with their parents, children tend to desist from their usual brands and therefore compelling their parents to secure them the brand they saw on television the other day (Gootman Appleton, 65).
Advertising promotes overconsumption among children. Repeated ads on television remind children of the products. As a result, they end up developing tendencies of overconsumption. Television ads promote alcohol consumption among children. In spite of the messages that accompany alcohol ads, children tend to explore and find out what the taste is like. It starts slowly but later becomes a habit. Television adverts affects budgets in many households. Children do not seem to understand that between chocolate and nutritious food, nutritious food is good for their health.
They therefore compel their parents to interfere with house budget and use money meant for family food to buy unnecessary things. In some cases, children know where money is kept and they can access it whenever they feel like. An ad can entice a child who has access to the budget money and as a result, a family might go hungry. Another problem caused by advertising is impulse buying whenever the family is shopping for essential household goods. Whenever kids accompany their parents to the market of shops, they demand for products that they see on television. Sometimes it forces a parent to omit an essential commodity so that they buy their children whatever they desire to avoid hurting them.
Children like doing things that are unsuitable for their ages. They like to venture into activities that belong to adults. Alcohol consumption among children is one of the problems that are caused by advertising. These adverts make children think they are big enough to engage in adult activities like sex. Children like pursuing what their parents do because they think they can do it better than their parents. The things children see makes them develop irresponsible behaviors without them knowing.
A parent who fails to educate her children on monetary issues is a failure who risks facing huge problems in future. Children’s needs ought to be restrained earlier in life. Parents should not forget a part from the basic needs, not all of the demands by children should be fulfilled. Whenever money is put freely on children’s hands, they hardly learn to use it. Instead, they misuse it. At the same time, when children grow up with all their demands met, a long term problem is develops and as a result, children find it difficult to survive without money when they grow.
Advertising poisons young minds so easily. Children are easily carried away by advertising. Most of them fail to understand that it is a way of pushing new products into the market by advertisers. They easily get carried away by thinking that the products in televisions rightfully belong to them. Children pester their parents to buy advertised products. Sometimes they insist on particular products that are expensive and they refuse the cheaper ones. At times, others cry, pull pinch, and refuse to keep mum until their demands are fulfilled. Whenever children see these ads, it gives wrong impression on their tender minds and they give unnecessary importance to material joys. Everything shows clearly that children are target groups of advertisers. Younger children are affected more from the broadcasts of ads on television and as a result, reflecting more on their consuming behaviors. Children of younger age groups consume foods that have poor nutrients of minerals, proteins and vitamins, and this carries crucial developmental and health risks.
In conclusion, with so much exposure and openness, in media and commercials, parents are worried about what their young ones are watching. Research has indicated that children remember messages that are meant for adults during advertising. Countries should ban marketing advertising aimed at children below 12. In a certain country, advertising for toys before 10 p.m. is illegal and other countries should emulate that.
Conclusion:
Previously, advertisers used to market children’s products by directing them towards parents. Parents were their target groups for those products. Nowadays things have changed and marketers aim their messages at their clients who in other words, are children. Parents should be aware of this fact and try to find a way of avoiding the consequences. Parents are mandated to give parental advisory to their children. They should make children understand that advertising is business and it is a way of pushing products into the markets. Parents should teach children good manners while they are young. This will help them be responsible adults when they grow up. The government and other stake holders should step in and ensure that the content in commercials is regularized so as not to violate a child’s moral and healthy upbringing.
Works cited:
Caroline Oates and Prof. Gunter Barrie. Advertising to Children on TV: Content, Impact, and Regulation: NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc., Publishers, 2005. Print.
Franziska Pfund. Advertising to Children. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2002. Print.
Gootman Appleton. Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?. Washington DC: National Academic Press, 2006. Print.
Kapoor Neeru. Television Advertising and Consumer Response: Children Buying Behavior. New Delhi: Naurang Rai PUB, 2003 Print.
Les Carlson and Macklin Carole. Advertising to Children: Concepts and Controversies. UK: Sage Pub, 1999. Print.
Preiss Raymond. Mass Media Effects Research: Advances through Meta-Analysis. NJ: Laurence Erlbaum Ass, 2007. Print.
Valkenburg Patricia. Children's Responses to the Screen: A Media Psychological Approach. NJ: Laurence Erlbaum Ass, 2004. Print.
