Media Savvy Kids

By Rachel

Child Advertising… Is it right?

Statistics show that 700 billion kids are influenced by advertisements…

You may not realize it, but children see millions of advertisements every single day!

When they are at school, they only want that new thing that someone else has…

About 1 in 4 children in the U.S are affected by advertising viciously aimed towards them

What draws children to advertising?

The rise of electronics has increased the amount of advertising to children

Advertising to children under 8 years old is NOT okay!

Why is this?

This is because young children’s minds cant comprehend that someone is trying to sell them something!

2 out of 3 of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day

This young time is critical for a baby growing up. This time should be spent playing and having fun, not plopped in front of screen, only to waste the brain away.

Kids under age 6 watch an average of 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs

Kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the

computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games

In front of a screen, kids see so many advertisements a day. This is NOT good for the brain. All it is unhealthy.

From 1992 to 1997, the amount of money spent on advertising to children almost doubled, 6.2 billion to 12.7 billion. Today the

advertising industry is spending at least 15 billion.

Aside from new toys and products that every child wants, food is also a big part of the advertising business! Kids are affected by food advertisements all the time, and

generally speaking, they are unhealthy foods that may taste good but cause health problems.

For example…

This vicious food advertising is why America’s children are obese

Clearly, America has an epidemic at hand! Media directed towards children is taking over the world!

AAH!

Why is advertising necessary? What makes it so appealing and why does it draw kids in?

It draws kids in because it makes kids believe they need something to be cool, or they have to have the newest thing because their friends have it.

One big problem that is still going on is the advertising of smoking, drugs and alcohol to children.

This is awful because children and teens are attracted to these advertisements. These advertisements should be eliminated

immediately!

Children are affected by advertising every day…what can we do about it?

Some examples are…

-Getting your children to play outside more often!-Limiting time on electronics such as television

for only an hour or only computer time for only an hour and a half.

Child advertising…think about it and do something

to counteract it.