Usually, you can’t watch TV, go shopping, or surf the Internet without being flooded with advertisements. But you aren’t the only one who is exposed to ads. Your child sees them, too—in movies, music, and magazines and on the Internet and TV.

As an adult, you are able to see what a young child may not: the built-in bias in media ads. Research shows that kids under age 8 are more likely to accept ad messages as truthful, accurate, and unbiased.¹ It is hard for the average child to see and analyze the hidden agenda in the 40,000 TV ads he watches every year.²

What To Know:

Many ads for toys, snack food, cereal, and video games often are directed toward kids. But parents have to watch out for other ads, too. Beer or cigarette ads directed toward adults also can influence young children. According to researchers, beer ads, for example, are shown often during sports events and are seen by millions of children, creating both brand familiarity and more positive attitudes toward drinking in children as young as 9–10 years of age.³

Young children can be swayed easily by advertising messages. Their belief that ad messages are truthful and unbiased can contribute to many unhealthy behaviors, including:⁴

• Poor eating habits, a factor in today’s youth obesity epidemic. The most common ads directed toward kids are for sweets, sodas, and other snack foods.
• An increase in the likelihood of aggressive behavior and less sensitivity to violence if a young child is exposed to ads for violent video games, movies, or TV shows.

The study also shows that commercials can be the root of conflict between parents and children. Commercials often get children to want an advertised product. Then, children pressure their parents to buy it. Conflict occurs when parents say “no.”

What To Do:

Make yourself the number one influence in your child’s life. To counter the harmful messages your child may be getting from ads, you can:

• Monitor and limit how much time your child spends in front of the TV or on the Internet. Make sure she spends some of her free time doing other activities.
• Set rules about eating meals at the dinner table, not in front of the TV. Most children who watch television during meals eat more junk food than those who don’t.⁵
• Talk with your child. Watch commercials together or look at ads in magazines and help your child learn to ask questions about what he sees. What are the ads selling? Does your child believe it? Discuss what the ad may not be telling him.
• Role model healthy habits. Stock your kitchen with healthy foods, and eat more meals together. Also, limit your use of alcohol and tobacco and stay away from illegal drugs.

You may not be able to shelter your child from all commercials, but you can reduce the number of ads your child sees. Limit TV time and urge your child to read a book, to ride her bike, or to play outside with friends. Watch TV as a family and help your child understand how TV ads are biased. Not only will you be limiting the influence ads have on your child, but you’ll be helping her to build media skills that will last a lifetime.

Sources

Additional Resources

JoinTogether: Study: Youth Still Exposed to Tobacco Ads Despite Restrictions, 12/12/2003

Office of the Surgeon General: Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General: Appendix 4–B—Violence in the Media and Its Effect on Youth Violence

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Keeping Youth Drug Free: Five Steps To Becoming Media Literate

SAMHSA. Keeping Youth Drug Free: Additional Media Literacy Activities