Advertising effects on children

A thesis about the impact on children of causework when I was student at the university trying to explain the advertisements. Ads in this research paper I tried to explain negative impact on kids.

Advertising is a keystone in a consumer economy. Without advertising people would spent a lot of time even buy products and services are available in fact advertising informs consumer about new products are available in the market such as laundry detergents, cosmetics etc.

Today rapid improving of advertising sector and advertiser spent billon of dollars each year for competition for their money and they are extremely successful. Advertisers have found that certain colors of an attractive product will cause people to reach out. Also certain words attract consumer attention. For example, the word ‘New’, ‘Improved’ and ‘Giant Size’ are very popular. But, the inevitable fact that all commercial results beyond advertising has strong influence on children. Everyday children walk into a store with their parents. They stand in front of hundred boxes of chocolate and stable of choose one brand and their parents for it. Then they leave. All right, why do children choose that specific brand of chocolate?

May be it is better than offers or maybe not. If products are almost the same, what makes children choose one brand instead of another? This interesting position bewilders to their parents, but parents usually don’t realize the powerful effects on advertising on children. The considerable fact that commercials on television and advertisements in magazines probably influence children much more than they think do.

Most of time a child isn’t alone in front of television. His brother, sister or friends are usually with him. In his ambiance, there is the pleasure or being a member of a team. Most children can mimic television character or sign an advertising jingle, because they grow up watching television in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening as well. During this period, children are ecstasy from them and become separate independent individuals. They especially, prefer to watch ads on television because ads are important part of their lives and much to teach. Therefore children know well when it is the time of ads on television. When ads which has been waiting by a child starts on television, creates a pleasure of watching something again again even he/she keeps on memory. Advertisers use many methods to get children to choose their products. One of their most successful method is to use attractive products in ads, in fact children firstly attention to story instead of products in ads.

For example, they say that ‘I like these ads, because I see my favorite chocolate in this ads’ on the other hand ‘There is an ads which is make for Action Joe, I like this ads.

Action Joe is an enormous man and I love him. Thus, they always want to see their favorite things in advertisements. Such as children like animals when they are six, boys like cowboy or spaceman when they are ten and girls like a play with a baby. That is children want to find themselves in ads, in otherwise they don’t appropriate to ads. Advertising usually addressed to children under twelve years of age in all media, including print, broadcast and cable television, radio, video, online and internet advertising. Of course children (under twelve years of age) have a limited capacity for evaluating the understandable of information they receive. Therefore advertisers always take into account the level of knowledge and sophistication of the children to which their message is directed.

Children look at, listen, watch and remember many kinds of elements in advertising so advertisers need to examine the local ads message to be certain that the net communication don’t mislead children. However almost all ads (addressed to children) are the same to each other this reason for advertisers apply to different methods for attracts to children. According to many advertisers one of the most popular method is famous character in ads, in fact, famous characters in ads create a desire for buying a this product for children and not only attention to it. For instance asked to children ‘Why children eating do and IGLO ice cream?’

They say that ‘because pink panther like an IGLO ice cream.’ In besides, increasing to arise different kinds of products which have same specialties to each other and this is creating a big problem for advertisers. So they begin to seek the most attractive specialties of a product. The best example about OASIS and BANGA fruit juice. There are many similarities between the both these fruit juice, even though advertisers choose different methods to distinguish for them. The brand of OASIS chooses a person who is cheerful, energetic and happy – favorites of children, CARLOS. The film passes away in tropic island. In this ambiance Carlos was dancing with children and singing Oasis jingle. The other film; young hero to carry with audience from adventure, dangerous and waterless. The both of ads show to people: Personality has to functions in ads, one of the sources of emotion and sympathy, the other is symbol of product which has contentment about the quality of product.

‘Children can’t be urged to ask parents or others to buy products and advertisements can’t suggest that a parent or adult who purchases a product or service for child is better or more intelligent than one who does not.’ (Kapferer, 1991 pg: 95) However kinds of factors have strong influence on children’s demand. These are:

Parents attitudes some parents choose a way of hamper a child’s demand, in contrast, some parents accept and encouragement to children from more and more.
The pleasure of time with parents: A mother who have spent lots of time with her child, of course hear more demand than working women.
A child painstaking the other children who have kids of toys. However the number of demands hamper by the other factors when the children grow up their attitudes begin to change and this variations reflect to their family relationship.

Thus, they begin to give up direct demands (I want to it) and hint to their feelings. In fact give up to addiction is more difficult than start to addiction for children. Children have more limited vocabulary and they don’t know how to reading and writing under six years old, in spite of they easily keep to their mind the brand of a product. For example they say that milk with cocoa instead of ‘NESQUICK’. This position explains to us, children show to their demands normal ways instead of products brand name. So, today the most important production makes for children by advertisers.

Children see, listen to and remember many different jingle and elements in advertising. So advertisers need to examine the local advertising messages to be certain. Thus the clearly communication will not difficult for children. Children begin to teel ads jingle when they are four years old, and after years these jingles and slogans to know thoroughly by them. For example they say that ‘Macaroni macaroni, yes but PANZANI’ on the other hand ‘If you CANTADAU, at the same time you will say that TASTE.’ Of course, children don’t haphazardly to choose voice and groups of words. When they listen to sentences in ads such as MACARONI they make a distinction from voice of elements, not only words. They create their own melody and words for their life, because they like words with harmony and rhyme in ads. According to parents position is the same but advertisers are not. In contrast to children, advertisers make adults fell dissatisfied with themselves and their imperfect lives. Because advertisement shoes people who they aren’t and what they don’t have. For example our hair isn’t shinny enough or our clothes aren’t clean enough on the other hand ‘Why don’t I have any dates’ an attractive woman sadly asks in a commercial and ‘Here replies her friend try to zoom toothpaste’ of course she tries it and immediately the whole man fall in love with her. May be it is a stupid commercial or maybe not, but many people still buy zoom toothpaste having no friends. Thus advertisers create an intended audience by themselves. ‘The ads placement implies that the targeted consumer is a young, fashion-conscious female. After all, the next began YOU ARE A WOMAN OF THE 90’S (Fowles, 1996 pg: 180). This position show to us this reality: Brands and slogans have strong influence on people especially on children. But there is one serious problem with this. This ‘information’ is actually very often misinformation and it tells to people the products benefits but hides their disadvantages. In fact advertising not only leads to buy things that we need and cannot afford but it also confuses our sense of reality. Children for position are the same children growing rapidly and their attitudes are changing rapidly, too. Early age they want to know thoroughly all slogans but when they begin to grow they will attention to slogans instead of brands.

Children take messages via media such as ads, movies, computer games, music, videos or other examples of what they have learned from media. Perhaps these examples include naming a popular brand of beer, striking a sexs pose or play fighting. In fact children only have to put a movie into the VCR, open a magazine, click on web site or watching TV to experience all kinds of magazine. However, form they take (ads, movies, music, videos) messages can be good or bad for children. For example about alcohol is everywhere in media. Children watch on TV and see smoking & drinking and that ‘everyone does it’. Therefore, children who watch a lot of ads for cigarettes, beer or wine admit that influences them to want to drink & smoking. Of course children often don’t know what the health risks are when they use these products. Sometimes TV broadcast and articles do the same thing and children begin to believe that drinking & smoking are good things, because TV shows to them every day. However, media heavily promote they need to lose weight and be thin. Especially girls of all worry about their weight and starting to diet at early ages. May be media is guilty or maybe not, but considerable fact that media of how people look, and usually the thin perfect looking person on screen. In besides, products which promote to not enough by advertisers these products go away from children’s life. For example children who are thirsty prefer to drink a glass of water instead of drinking cola on the other hand children who are hungry, prefer to eat a healthy meal instead of eating a chocolate. Therefore some foods are prohibiting to children by parents, and these forbids create an ambiance of taboo for children. However they never understand to these forbids and forbids always continue to attract to children.

‘The effects of advertising on children might not apparent right away, children are being negatively affected. Therefore advertisers must pay attention children are being negatively affected so, representation of food products should be made so as to encourage sound use of the product with a view toward healthy development of the child and development of good nutritional practices.’ (Even, 1998 pg: 123)

Advertisers use many different methods to get people to buy their products. One of the their most successful method is to people feel dissatisfied with themselves and lives. Thus, structure of ads divides into two sections. Firstly, there is a big problem, so person is an unhappy, then he/she found and object (cars, toothpaste, cosmetics) and everything is wonderful for him/her. For example, a modern young woman might like to think that she looks like a beautiful movie star; on the other hand a middle aged man might want to see himself as a strong, attractive athlete.

Advertisers know this position very well, so they write specific ads to make certain groups of people. Of course, advertising emphasizes materialism on people, but it isn’t influence exactly. Because without advertising many TV programs (news, game show, race) lean to desire of buying. Children who watch TV more eight hours in a day, they see that increasing to power of buying. In addition many soap operas (Dallas & Dynasty) show to audiences from advantages of wealth. People always find to high living standards for their life, so media and ads reflect to this position from all people & children.

Parents need to set limits and be actively involved with the TV shows, magazines computer games and the other media that children use. But, this is only one step in helping media they play a positive role in children’s lives, because media surround all people and children can learn everything about life from media. They begin to ask questions and think about the media messages they watch, read and hear. Perhaps they enjoy doing it. Shared knowledge and shared experiences are created but mass media thus media determine to people’s roles that live in a community. At the same time, this position reflects to ads. In fact we almost never see in ads father who washing to dishes in the kitchen or mother who working in an office. On the other hand boys are always active and energetic but girls are more conciliatory. We always see a classical family portrait in ads, young and beautiful mother, handsome father and sweet children and their dogs. The inevitable fact that advertisers must always protect to validity from ads, because ads which isn’t appropriate for community standards of course public can’t assume it.

Although many influences affect a children’s personal and social development, advertisements remains the prime responsibility of the parents to provide guidance for children. Therefore advertisers should contribute to this parent-child relationship in a constructive manner. Whenever possible, use media by children and discuss what they see, hear and read. During a media activity help children ‘talk back’ or questions what they see. Parents can learn more about advertisings impact by talking with their child’s pediatrician and reading about media education, because advertising creates new a world for children.