HOW ADVERTISING INFLUENCES OUR KIDS

Advertising affects all children. So, what should parents be aware of when it comes to the ways your child is being targeted by advertising asks Ella Ryan?

EFFECTS ON TODDLERS

Up to two years old, a child cannot differentiate between advertisements and actual TV programmes. By the ages of three and six years old, a child can…

• Not tell TV programmes and ads apart

• Not separate entertainment videos and advertisements on YouTube.

• Probably have difficulty understanding that an advertisement is trying to sell them something

• Consider advertisements to be fun, helpful or entertaining

• Not always understand the messaging of the advertisement

The only way to combat this as a parent is to limit the time your child spends watching television or YouTube videos. They are not old enough yet to understand how ads work!

EFFECT ON SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

By seven to eleven years old, children…

• Can grasp that advertising is trying to make them buy something

• Can remember messages and slogans from the advertising they consume

• Might recognise some of the compelling techniques being used, such as exaggerating how good the product is, etc.

• May not be able to look critically at what the advertisement is doing

• May not realise that the product may not be exactly as described, or that any negative aspects are not being shown. (For example, with a cool game, excessive screen time could be harmful.)

Starting the conversation