IMPACT OF

ADVERTISING ON
CHILDREN

Prepared by:
Ashish Sahotra
MBA- 3rd Sem
Abstract

The objective is to explore the harmful effects of advertising on children’s mental and
physical health. The study includes the analysis and the impact of various advertisements,
which appear on television screen in India. It also discusses at length how parents can help
their children make better use of media by educating them regarding the susceptibilities of
advertisement.

Media offers entertainment, culture, news, sports, and education. They play a vital role in our
lives. While a number of factors influence the cultural values and life styles of a society, the
overwhelming amount of advertising and its prevalence in mass media lead us to argue that
advertising leaves an indelible imprint on our social and cultural values. Ronald Berman in
his book Advertising and Social Change says:

The institutions of family, religion and education have grown

noticeably weaker over each of the past three generations. The world
itself seems to have grown more complex. In the absence of traditional
authority, advertising has become a kind of social guide. It depicts us
in all the myriad situations possible to a life of free choice. It provides
ideas about style, morality and behaviour.1

The same is true regarding the impact of advertising on children. Advertisements through
various media have much to teach but some of what these advertisements teach may not be
what we want our children to learn. The fundamental reason is that they cater to all sections
of society and address to varied themes. Therefore, one of the most controversial topics
advertisers must deal with is the issue of advertising to children.
Impact of Advertising on Children

According to an in depth research done on the influence of advertising on children it was

found that children between the age of 2 and 11 watch an average of 21.5 hours of TV a week
and may see between 22000 and 25,000 commercials a year. 2 and its impact on children
cannot be overlooked. Television viewing which frequently limits children’s time for vital
activities such as playing, reading, learning to talk, spending time with peers and family,
storytelling, participating in regular exercise, and developing other necessary physical,
mental and social skills, has become the major source of information and entertainment and
mostly guides their thinking and living patterns. As far as children are concerned, in a matter
of seconds, most of them can mimic a movie or TV character, sing an advertising jingle, or
give other examples of what they have learnt from media. These examples may include
naming a popular brand let’s say from toothpaste to beer or from play fighting to striking a
"sexy" pose. Most of the time impact is not so immediate or obvious. It occurs slowly as
children see and hear advertisements or actions in movies over and over. For instance when
time and again they have watched fighting and other violence used as a way to "handle"
conflict or they get an image that smoking cigarettes and taking alcohol make the user more
cool and attractive, not unhealthy and deadly, immature minds get rather lured to all such
habits which we may not want them to develop. Advertisements and movies also send kids a
message that smoking and drinking make a person sexy. They get a message that everybody
uses these things and therefore there is no harm if they use either. It would not be an
exaggeration to say that advertising in fact, sways teens to smoking and drinking. Teens, who
see a lot of ads for beer, wine, liquor, and cigarettes, too admit that it provokes them to
drinking and smoking. Alcohol-related problems have proliferated among teens in recent
years and have resulted in many negative consequences such as gang rape, thefts, robbery,
and murder, indiscipline in school and colleges and use of unfair means and above all
untimely deaths and suicides.

To our consternation, media heavily promotes unhealthy and malnutricious food like instant
food, junk food and sachet packed food. On the contrary, it strongly advocates the viewers
that they need to lose weight and be slim and thin. The glamorous presentation indirectly
discourages people from taking up the tasks, which need physical activity.
Advertising is affecting the whole world and India the country that has inherited a rich
traditional culture and values, is no exception to it. Now let us trace some of the
advertisements, which are appearing on television screen and how are they distressing the
children in India.

Positive Effects of Advertisement on Kids3

 Advertising makes the kids aware of the new products available in the market. It
increases their knowledge about the latest innovations, in the field of technology as
well as otherwise.
 Convincing ads, which center around healthy food products, can help improve the diet
of a child, if they are attractive enough. 

Negative Effects of Advertisement on Kids3 

 Advertisements encourage the children to persuade their parents to purchase the
products shown in the commercials, whether useful or not. The little ones tend to get
adamant, if they are not bought the product.
 Children often tend to misinterpret the messages conveyed in commercials. They
overlook the positive side and concentrate more on the negatives.
 Many advertisements in the present times include dangerous stunts, which can be
performed only by experts. Even though the commercials broadcast the statutory
warnings with the ad, the kids often try to imitate the stunts at home, with fatal
results.
 The flashy advertisements broadcast in television generate impulse shopping in
children.
 Children, after watching the glitter of commercials, often lose the ability to live a life
without materialistic joy.
 The kids usually get more attracted towards the costly branded products, such as jeans
and accessories. They disregard the inexpensive, but useful, ones that are not shown
in the commercials.
  Advertisements have an indirect effect on the behaviour of children. They might
develop temper tantrums, when deprived of the latest toys and clothes that are shown
in the commercials.
 The personal preferences in clothing, toys, food and luxurious of children are altered
by the advertisements, to a great extent.
 Junk foods, such as pizzas, burgers and soft drinks, are heavily promoted during
children's TV viewing time. This develops a craving for fatty, sugary and fast foods in
kids, thereby affecting their health adversely.

Advertising Causing an Alarming Change in Indian Milieu

One revolution that advertisements have brought about in India is certainly that of
reengineering the mindset. In a postmodern era, which also is a sort of post-god era as well,
advertisement agencies are redefining the laws of living for Indians. They are quick to assess
that a society that has long lost its sense of direction owing much to the loss of leadership at
the top, are promptly replacing the heroes of the past – the ones who now appear boring to
the modern generation – with their own versions of heroism. Obviously it is the star either of
the celluloid or of the cricketing ground that befittingly fulfills the prerequisites of the hero
for a society whose sense of destiny seems to be dwindling at a fast pace.

There is no surprise therefore that in place of Gandhi, Vivekananda or Mother Teresa – or all
those who gave away their lives for a higher, nobler cause – it is Amitabh, the millennium
star, Sharukh, the king khan, or Sachin, the cricketing genius who suggest that the word hero
is only metaphorical and people should not expect anything real from their heroes.

Naturally for an anxiety ridden and stress driven society, the TV screen spells a soothing
escape from their own inadequacies and a harried existence and what they want is something
simply entertaining or duly sensational to drown their own frustrations in the shadowy reality
of the world. Therefore, rather than engaging people in a meaningful discussion, the idiot
box is busy in enticing their viewers in seeing a world that arises essentially out of their
make-believe assumptions.
Thus, we see the millennium star dancing in comic exuberance and suggesting “Kucch
Meetha Ho Jaye” to his audience for it is the time to celebrate the success of Pappu – the
quintessential, middle aged, balding nincompoop, who finally has managed to pass his
matriculation. Since our millennium star does not mind suggesting that Cadbury Chocolate is
as good as Meetha – normally some sweets in typical Indian context – people are led to
believe that they can as well celebrate their festivals and success with chocolate. Hence it is
through advertisements that the good-old sweets are getting replaced by chocolates.

Advertisements are playing a crucial role in defining not only the patterns of understanding
but they are focused also on changing the reactions such perception arouses in people. Good
at reading the pulse of the masses, they are replacing the good old passions with new found
obsessions. Hitting right at the adolescent adrenaline comes the advertisement announcing:
“Nayee Umang Nayee Tarang, Krish Ke Sang”. Now we all know that Krrish is a famous
movie that is ardently watched by young boys and girls. The Krrish referred to here in the
advertisement however is a Pan Masala. By selecting a name familiar to people being the
title of the movie, the advertiser is able to strike home the affinity of the product with the
masses. Since they know that it is mostly kids and youngsters who are charmed by such
movies, it seems they are trying to bewitch them. However, since it is not lawful to sell
intoxicating substance to youngsters, they write on the border of the advertisement the
instruction “Not for Minors”. Quite deftly hence the advertisement is able to mesmerize the
present as well as the prospective customers for their product. Branding their product after a
popular movie, they successfully strike a cord of familiarity with their present as well as
prospective customers. However, as they are supposed to play safe legally, they leave a
footnote which renders their ploy safe and smart.

Once more they target the soft minds – those who either are ignorant of the games played on
them – or the ones whose sensibilities are plaint enough to be moulded to any formative
construction. Somehow becoming a celebrity is seen as everyone’s catch these days. And in
this make-believe world of ours, being with a celebrity is also looked up as being a celebrity
in itself. Here again, the growing boys and girls display a rather strong zeal to be with the
celebrities. Therefore, the advertisement for Tata Indicom lures them to be with celebrities
from the celluloid and suggests coolly: Ajay, Kajol Aur Aap. Since it is now known to most
of us – thanks especially to television again where the breaking news usually is who is
marrying whom – that Ajay and Kajol are a family now, this invitation has the lure to take the
reader into the cozy private comfort of a family fold. This advertisement does not fascinate
only the youngsters but many grown-ups too might feel like sharing with a family of
celebrities receive you, suggestions being that the buyer of Tata Indicom is no less than a
celebrity himself.

Advertisements are not only suggestive of an alternative life in action, they are attempting
also to convert the very ethos and concept of a society which now ostensibly manifests the
tendencies and attitudes that are capitalistic in tone and tenor. They therefore focus not on
what does good but what looks and feels good physically and sensually. Consequently the
idea of living big as propagated by the Infinity Club is centered on Winning in the Pool
against Mr. Sharma, followed by Cocktail Celebration in the Lounge Bar. It is not all that
Infinity Club offers – it has other, may be infinite, lucrative offers which includes sharing
Some Special Moments with Some Special Friends at a Multi - cuisine Restaurant, -
something that again spells sensuality for the reader.

If nothing of these works, they end their message hammering a stupendous idea in the mind:
Zindagi Milti Hey Ek Bar, Jiyo Shan Se … Live Big. Obviously, the idea of living big is
confined to sheer physicality as the advertiser shares proudly the belief of not believing in
anything else but the physical and temporal with the reader. It is because of this ideological
shift, which refuses to recognize the world of emotion, or intellect that all efforts are made to
satisfy only the sensuous and the sensual urges for that is all that we are supposed to be
having with us. However, since being a human means not just existing like any other
creature, but providing a meaningful construct to the existence such defined, living big
physically or materially becomes an alternative method of appending meaningful
assumptions to our otherwise meaningless, trite and drab existence. This strategy stems from
a belief that life comes once and not forever, living it with metaphors of eternity and infinity
is something that can give to it the connotations of meaningful existence. The advertisements
today therefore are not just confining themselves to promoting the sale of a product; they are
forcing a paradigm shift in the thinking patterns of the people. Hence a bold suggestion that
since it is no longer possible to attain salvation through mind and soul let us achieve infinity
by living big may be just at a physical level.
Causes of Controversy

Much of the controversy over advertising stems from the ways many companies use it as a
selling tool and form its impact on society’s tastes, values and lifestyles. Critics argue that
children are especially vulnerable to advertising because they lack the experience and
knowledge to understand and evaluate critically the purpose of persuasive advertising
appeals. However the concern over advertising and other forms of promotion directed at
children is also receiving greater attention due to the increasing viewing options children
have as a result of the growth of cable television. Research has also shown that children do
not perceive the selling intent of commercials, and cannot distinguish between reality and
fantasy. A heated debate has ensued, since some of the critics charge that advertising to them
is inherently unfair and deceptive and should be banned or severely restricted.

This issue received a great deal of attention in 1979 in America. And as an outcome of this
FTC report recommended banning all TV advertising for any product directed to or seen by
audiences composed largely of children under age eight because they are too young to
understand the selling intent of the advertising. It was debated intensely. Some favored
regulations because of kids’ inability to evaluate advertising messages and make purchase
decisions. The others opposed regulation because members of that group believed many self-
regulatory mechanisms already existed and the appropriate places for restricting advertising
to children was in the home.4 The group that holds the opinion that advertisers have a special
responsibility to protect children from their own susceptibilities; says that advertisers should
not stimulate unreasonable expectations of product or performance directly or indirectly by
advertising. They must communicate accurately and truthfully knowing that children may
learn practices from advertising that can affect their health or well-being. Moreover, they
should bank on the positive aspects of life such as friendship, honesty, kindness, respect etc.

Though some feel that the government is responsible for protecting children from the
potentially harmful effects of advertising and other forms of promotion, we should stop
bothering ourselves about regulations, since it comes under the domain of government. But
we can always hold and maintain the other aspect of it very strongly that we being parents are
ultimately responsible for teaching our kids what to see and how to interpret.

Set the Home Stage for Media Education

When children are very young, most of the media use takes place in the home. Parents can
help their children make better use of media by educating them and some of the following
tips may serve as the guidelines for this purpose:

 Play "Spot the Commercials." 5 Help your child learn to tell the difference between a
regular program and the commercials that support it. This may be tricky during
children's shows because many commercials advertise toys based on TV characters.
 Do a taste test to compare a heavily advertised brand with a generic or other
nonadvertised brand. Try products such as cereals or soft drinks. Let your child and
his friends tell the difference and judge how far advertising has influenced their
guesses.
 Look at the headlines, photos, and placements of articles in a newspaper. How do
these affect which stories your child wants to read? Read a few stories and compare
their content with their headlines and photos.
 When you see a movie, video, or video game with your child, talk about the fact what
happens on screen, may not happen in the "real" world. For example, would a person
really be able to drive a car super-fast, down narrow streets, without crashing?
 While shopping, compare products with advertisements your child has seen. Look at
the ingredients, label, or packaging. Is any of this information in the ad? Does the ad
give any specific information about the product itself? How is the product different
than it seemed from the ad or packaging?
 Make them think what the advertisements claim may not prove to provide you the
same comfort or taste or physique or quality. Talk about the difference between
fantasy and reality.
 How many brands of beer, cigarettes, or other such products can your child name? If
she can name even one, this is a great way to begin talking about the power of
 advertising. Discuss the health risks of using these products and how the ads leave out
that information.
 Watch a music video with your child. What stories are the pictures telling? Does the
story on screen match the meaning of the words in the song? How does the video
make your child feel? Can your child note any stereotypical, violent, or sexual images
in the video? Is there any tobacco, alcohol, or drug use? Watch a music video or any
other television programme which might interest them with the sound off and see how
it is different.
 Make a media plan. Schedule media times and choices in advance, just as you would
other activities. A media plan helps everyone to choose and use media carefully.
 Set media time limits. Limit children's total screen time. This includes time watching
TV and videotapes, playing video and computer games, and surfing the Internet. One
way to do this is to use a timer. When the timer goes off, your child's media time is
up, no exceptions. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1
to 2 hours of quality TV and videos a day for older children and no screen time for
children under the age of 2.
 Set family guidelines for media content. Help children and teens choose shows,
videos, and video games that are appropriate for their ages and interests. Get into the
habit of checking the content ratings and parental advisories for all media. Use these
ratings to decide what media are suitable for your child.
 Be clear and consistent with children about media rules. If you do not approve of
their media choice, explain why and help them choose something more appropriate.
 Keep TV sets, VCRs, video games, and computers out of children's bedrooms.
 Develop the skills to question, analyze, and evaluate the advertisements they watch
and see.
Conclusion

The influence of the media and the advertising through it is extremely profound on the
psychosocial development of children. If children are exposed to these media without adult
supervision, they may have the deleterious effects as it has the potential to influence
children’s eating habits, exercise habits, buying habits and mental health. It would not be an
exaggeration to say that advertising shapes the consciousness of children. Because young
minds do not understand persuasive intent in advertising, they are easy targets for commercial
persuasion; this is a critical concern because the most common products marketed to children
are sugared cereals, candies, sweets, sodas and snack foods. Parents' choices about their
children's eating habits are undermined by junk food ads every day. It is the responsibility of
the advertisers and government to take into account the far-reaching impact of advertisements
on young brains. However, parents should also carry out their duty of imparting media
education to their kids, since most of the media takes place at home.
References

1. Ronald Berman, Advertising and Social Change (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage,
1981), p. 13

2. Fer Erdogan, Michael J. Baker and Stephen Tagg, “Selecting Celebrity

Endorsers: The Practitioner’s Perspective,” Journal of Advertising Research,
Vol. 41, No. 43(May/June 2001), pp. 39-48

3. http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/effects-of-advertising-on-children-
4751.html

4. “The Positive Case for Marketing Children’s Products to Children,”

Comments by the Association of National Advertising Agencies, and the
American Advertising Federation before the Federal Trade Commision
(November 24, 1978).

5. Robert M. Liebert and Joyce Sprafkin, the Early Window: Effects of

Television on Children and Youth (New York: Pergamon, 1998).

Websites

1. www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104639695

2. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/television/tv_impact_kids.cfm

3. http://www.mouthshut.com/review/readproduct.php?cid=925057744
4. http://www.indiastudychannel.com/resources/47830-Impact-
Advertisement.aspx

5. http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child.html