Young children inherently see the world as being all about them. Advertisers understand this. Anyone who’s sat with a child through a 60-second commercial break during daytime cartoons knows very well that kids typically respond to ads with their own variation of “Can I have that?”
Fordham University in New York cites a study in which 6-year-olds were asked to explain the purpose of advertising, given four choices:
-Don’t know
-For a break
-For information
-To persuade
The group of kids virtually split their answers among the first three choices, with not one child in the study saying that the purpose of advertising is to persuade. As such, the researcher concluded that kids see advertising as a benefit to them, the consumer, not to the seller. Further, seeing commercials as a benefit is a hard habit for kids to break as they grow into adults—a result that advertisers more than likely understand as well.
HOW ADVERTISING REWIRES KIDS' BRAINS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGN1ZEABk_Y&feature=youtu.be
COMPILATION OF JUNK FOOD COMMERCIALS AIMED AT CHILDREN AND TEENS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk_hkdGf1tc&feature=youtu.be
1.) What does the study say about the biological effect on children’s development resultant from advertising?
2.) What do the advertisements use to appeal to children and make them want stuff?
3.) Why does it work?
4.) In your life experiences with advertising, honestly evaluate what most persuades you in advertisements.