TV Commercials & Their Effects on Children

Today's children are watching more television than ever before and are therefore more bombarded with commercials. Research has shown that children are able to retain and recall many of the ads they see on TV -- whether they are for toys, food, tobacco or alcohol. Advertisers spend billions yearly on advertising messages aimed at children, but to what effect?

  1. Significance

    • Advertisers spend more than $12 billion annually to cater commercials to children. The average American child watches more than 40,000 television commercials per year, and their ability to recall commercials is extremely strong. Studies show that children only need to see a commercial once to develop a preference for the particular product, and that preference is strengthened with repeated exposures.

    Kids Remember Ads Targeted to Adults

    • It's not just kid-orientated goods that children remember. Along with being able to recall toys and food products or products placed in movies aimed at them, kids also remember products geared toward their parents. In studies, children are able to remember and identify alcohol and tobacco products and characters such as the Budweiser frogs, Joe Camel and hard lemonade.

    Inability to Discern the Truth

    • Studies have shown that children under eight years of age are unable to understand TV commercials as marketing ploys. These kids accept the advertiser's message as truthful and accurate. As such, they tend to believe all the commercials they see, which can lead to unhealthy habits and choices.

    Increase of Junk Food Intake

    • A U.K. study found that kids bombarded with junk food TV ads almost double the amount of unhealthy snacks and sweets they eat. Those who are already overweight or obese increase the amount of junk food intake by 134 percent. These children are the most susceptible to food advertising. Kids with normal weights upped their junk food consumption by 84 percent after seeing junk food ads.

    Creating the "Nag Factor"

    • In addition to promoting poor dietary habits, TV commercials can also create the "nag factor." Coined by experts, the "nag factor" is when a child will cry, complain and nag his or her parent to buy a particular product seen on TV. The nagging will continue until the parent purchases the product. According to research, 2- to 12-year-olds indirectly impacted another $320 billion in household purchases. Over the past five years, children have had a bigger influence on the purchase of durable goods due to the nag factor.

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