A Research Essay Written By: xxxxxx The Truth Behind Advertisements Targeting Children
One of the largest and most profitable industries in the world is the advertising industry. Last year the advertising industry spent around 150 billion dollars in the U.S. alone (“TNS Media Intelligence”). That’s enough money to give every person on the planet 20 dollars and then have enough left over to buy 150,000 Porsche Carrera’s. Advertising consumes all facets of the media and affects everyone young and old. It’s near impossible to go anywhere today without seeing some sort of ad, whether it’s a billboard for Victoria Secret, or a television ad for Corn Flakes. Though there are multitudes of aspects to explore in advertising, one of the most debated is advertising’s effects on children, especially children younger than twelve. Whether arguing for, or against advertisements targeting children, it’s important to understand and investigate all the aspects of marketing products specifically to young children: the ethics, the effects on mental and physical health, the economic value of children and how it’s affected by advertising as well as the responsibilities parents have in monitoring their children and what they watch. Both sides of the issue have strong fact-based arguments to support their position. Should children be specifically targeted by advertising companies? There really is no right or wrong answer to this question; it’s a matter of taking the facts, weighing out the pros and cons and then reaching a personal conclusion. That being said, children are affected by advertising, whether it be specifically directed and fabricated for them or indirectly, from other advertising. This issue has been debated for decades and is still debated today. This topic is far from one-sided, and far from over.
The ad industry’s methods of administering advertisements directed at young children