Facts About Kids' Commercials
About $500 billion of what U.S. parents spend in a typical year is influenced by their childs' wants, according to an opinion article that appeared in 2008 on the website of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, an advocacy organization. Kids' commercials are a lucrative investment for companies because brand loyalty begins at age 3, when kids recognize about 100 brand names, according to a report by Focus on the Family, a Christian ministry.
Other People Are Reading
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Billion-Dollar Industry
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As of 2008, U.S. companies spent at least $15 billion a year marketing to children, including TV advertising. That's more than double what they spent in 1992 and dwarfs the estimated $100 million they spent on kids' TV commercials in 1983, according to a report by the Center for a New American Dream in Charlottesville, Va. Advertisers claim that children under 3 represent a $20-billion market.
Significance
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Children under 8 cannot understand the persuasive motives of television commercials, according to the American Psychological Association. Children see them as truthful and may believe every product advertised is good for them.
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Effects
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Fast-food meals that come with toys entice kids to nag their parents. Because junk food advertisements have multiplied, so has childhood obesity, says the APA. Kids who nag their parents to buy them an advertised food or toy said they succeed 55 percent of the time, according to a 2002 survey commissioned by the Center for a New American Dream.
Prevention/Solution
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Watch viewer-supported channels such as PBS with your children; they do not run commercials. Help your child determine if claims made in an advertisement he saw were truthful.
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References
Resources
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