Effects of television advertising on children

Introduction

Daily children are exposed to television advertising. The title chosen for the research is itself significant in the sense that it will provide a thorough study in children's behaviour as well attitude in response to the question whether they are inspired by TV advertisement or not. The topic is interrogative in form, so we shall have to carry some research in order to reach the conclusion after gathering fact and data on the topic. (Coon, 2002 pp. 423-436)Previous research may also be helpful in this regard. Another important aspect of the topic is the difference between attitude and behaviour because both the words are used and these are closely associated with human nature with a slight difference. Attitudes can be defined as an affective feeling of liking or disliking toward an object that has an influence on behavior. As Don Forsyth describes in his text book (Our Social World), an attitude is not a feeling, cognition, or a form of behavior; instead, attitudes combine all three components in an "integrated affect-cognition-behavior system.

Discussion

The previous research can guide us in this respect. According to a latest research report on the topic today, children in the United States watch an average of 3 to 5 hours of television every day, and up to an average of 24 hours of television a week. Did you know that on average, children will see 576 or more commercials each week? Children's programming devotes up to 12 hours to advertising a week. Research has demonstrated that the effect of television viewing on children leads to a number of possible problems. Television affects social and emotional behavior, creativity and language skills, and school achievement.

There is an organization out there in support of children and parents who are concerned with the way television is being viewed. The name of this organization is CARU, Children's Advertising Review Unit, and it is an industry supported self-regulatory system of the children's advertising industry. There are three advertising methods, which are the most popular with advertisers. The first form of advertising is called premiums and has been around since Dick Tracy decoder rings and Little Orphan Annie stickers, over 50 years. The problem with this form of advertising is that children have difficulty telling the difference between the actual product and the premium, or in other words, the prize. The second popular form of advertising to children is through sweepstakes. Children find this very exciting, and in turn this raises children's expectations of their chances of winning a prize. Most young children have trouble realizing that not every child wins and so sweepstakes usually require some form of parent involvement. The last form of advertisements that is geared toward children is what we call “Kids Clubs”.

The child may desire to watch commercials, or certain commercials, for information or entertainment value. Attitudes toward commercials Children have developed negative feelings towards ads because the ads interrupt programming or because they are perceived as generally dishonest. Influence of parents and peers ...