Money Sense for your Children

Fact Sheet 07-19 Lesson 5 The Pressures of

Main Ideas Key Words

$ TV, Internet, movie and radio advertising $ Advertising - A way manufacturers try to sell their constantly urges products, by calling consumers’ attention to them. children to buy, Advertising is designed to make products seem buy, buy! necessary or desirable.

$ Products are $ Commercial - An advertising message presented on designed to radio, or other broadcast media. attract children to purchase them. $ Consumers - People who buy and use products and services. $ Advertisers use techniques to $ Infomercial - Program-length commercials that encourage promote a specific product or service using a typical loyalty. Even infants and toddlers program format, such as a , product introduced to logos and product images demonstration, cartoon adventure, etc. can develop brand loyalty later in life. $ Media - The many forms of mass communication, $ The advertising industry sees young both electronic and print, including TV, Internet, people as an excellent market. Instead of podcasts, movies, radio, , newspapers, being victims of advertising pressure, magazines, etc. children can learn to use advertising as a $ Media Literacy - Skills for analyzing or evaluating source of useful . messages, many of which make use of language, moving images, music, sound effects, special visual effects and other techniques that affect our emotional responses.

Children and Advertising According to the Federal Trade Exposed to the highly developed billion a year Commission, in 2004 children ages techniques used in most in spending 2 to 11 saw 25,600 total TV ads media, our children are constantly power, and 2 1/4 hours of ad-supported pressured to buy. Advertisers according to TV a day.1 But that’s only on the specifically tailor their work based Yankelovich,3 television screen. Those numbers on research. Companies start early a consulting don’t include the Internet, print creating brand-loyal customers. firm. Youth are deluged with media or in Groups of 3- to 5-year-olds were advertising. Advertisers spend an movies. Many of the things that able to identify logos for fast food, estimated $12 to $20 billion a year children request are things they retail stores and TV icons when to reach them.4 want because of high-pressure shown “flash cards.”2 Celebrities advertising on TV, the Internet, and program icons encourage Also, with an estimated spending radio and billboards and in movies, youth to identify happiness with power of $153 billion in 2006, newspapers and magazines. possessions and endlessly urge the teenagers present a vast Children who haven’t learned to buying of expensive clothes and opportunity that is multifaceted and read yet can recite TV branded foods. touches on many products and 5 commercials. Young consumers have nearly $84 services. Children aren’t safe from functions-to inform and to seems to say. Federal law forbids advertising in school either. persuade. By being alert to these advertisers from making false Channel One News broadcasts two functions, we can use statements. In other words, they are delivered daily to more than 7 advertisements to our advantage. are not allowed to tell lies. But an million teens in middle schools The factual content of an ad can advertisement may combine true and high schools across the often help us make sound statements with scenes and country, reaching approximately purchasing decisions. images that may imply something 30 percent of teenagers in the that may not be true at all. For United States. The 12-minute in- Advertising does have several example, a cell phone ad might classroom broadcast has 2 good effects. It pays for show a group of young people minutes of commercials.3 commercial TV, websites and congregating at a business, Businesses are more than willing radio, often gives information you covering each other with silly to provide “educational” can use in comparison-shopping string, as a result of shared text information and products for the and introduces new products. But messages. This has nothing to do classroom, realizing how readily an advertisement is always trying with the phone and nothing at all is youth learn to recognize logos to sell something. An ad may give stated - nobody has told a lie. But and . you information, but only the the implication is that kids who information that the advertiser have these phones will have fun As a parent or caregiver, you can thinks will persuade you to buy. and lots of friends - and if you help your children understand the want to have experiences like that, role of advertising in our The role of advertising has been you should have the same phone. marketplace. complicated by the advent of the infomercials. For adults, these “But First This Important commercials air like documen- Message . . .” taries or talk shows, often with Are those words familiar to you? famous personalities endorsing They should be. The website for the product or service. In the Children’s Advertising children’s programming, toys are

Review Unit of the Busi- sold based on television ness Bureau includes this com- characters. Although the ment: “It is estimated that television program is not a children in this nation watch an commercial per se, many times How Does Advertising Work? average of 3.5 hours of television the product is created first, then Advertising’s main purpose is to every day, the equivalent on an the is written get you to buy. One very effective annual basis of a 50-day about and based on the product. way is to appeal to your emotions. marathon of TV viewing.” Forty Children have difficulty separating Let’s look at a few examples: percent of infants are regular TV the show from commercials and DVD viewers, and that featuring the same characters. The desire to be like others. For number jumps to 90 percent for example, an ad may imply that all 2-year-olds.5 More importantly, after watching teens wear a certain brand and the 30-minute cartoon feature, style of jeans, and if you don’t, you children ask for the products — won’t be popular. everything from diapers to Fear. Such ads imply that if you macaroni and cheese dinners, don’t use a certain product, you soups, toothbrushes, clothes, will lose your boyfriend or shoes and even toilet seats—tied girlfriend, be seen as an outsider, to their favorite characters. or won’t be able to compete for You can teach your children to jobs or grades. use advertisements, not let Snob appeal. These ads imply advertisers use them. that buying a certain item makes

What Is Advertising? you a leader or a success. Help children distinguish the An advertisement is a message commercial from the program. Comfort and enjoyment. Such ads that tries to sell a product or Explain to children that they don’t suggest physical pleasure, such service. Advertising has two have to believe everything an ad as good flavor, soft texture, health, or freedom from pain. Sex appeal. These ads want you to Things To Do—Family think a product will automatically $ At your regular family meeting, talk about ads that family make you popular with the opposite members have seen or heard. How much did the ads really sex. tell about the products? Were there unmeasurable state- ments like “tough” or “luxurious?” What information was ge- Desire for a bargain. Prices and neric and could have been used to describe other products? free gifts are stressed. What purpose did the scenery, characters and conversation Instant happiness. These ads play in the ad? What emotions did the ads trigger? imply that you will be assured of These are some things to look for in an ad: happiness as soon as you buy and use the product. Information

If you know what an advertisement is trying to do, it’s easier to decide $ Style $ Features whether you really want to buy the $ Color $ Who makes it product. Toddlers and preschoolers $ Size $ What is it for are especially vulnerable to com- $ Weight $ Regular price mercial messages. They are more $ Shape $ Former price inclined to use the right side of their $ Quantity $ Current price brain - where color, images, and $ Where available emotion are triggered - than the left-brain skills of thinking and analysis, which are undeveloped at that age. $ Vague claim of economy $ “Your last chance to buy” ————————– • “$30, worth $40” Impressive illustration 1 Holt, D., P. Ippolito, D. Desrochers $ • “Should sell for . . .” and C. Kelley. (June 1, 2007) $ Vague reference of quality Children’s exposure to TV • “Now only . . .” i.e. “These last for years advertising in 1977 and 2004. • “Below cost!” to come” Federal Trade Commission: Bureau • “Selling elsewhere for . .” $ Play on fears - pain, social of Economics Staff Report. • “Certified value” failure, accident, etc. 2 • “Made to sell for. . .” DeRusha, J. (May 14, 2007) How $ Play on hopes - health, many brands do young children • “Savings up to . . .” glamour, “a new you,” ro- recognize? WCCO TV, Minneapolis, mance, enjoyment Minnesota 3,4 Bess, Allyce. (June 20, 2004) Ads aimed at kids leave many to ask: too Analyze an ad much? Some groups want to limit $ What is written down, shown on TV, the Internet, at the marketing. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, movies, or heard on the radio? in Center for a New American ◊ What does the ad really tell you? Dream. ◊ What do the advertisers want you to think? 5 Spending Power of the Teen ◊ What do you think? Consumer - US - (September 2006) ◊ How can the ad help you? Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd. Report in Global Make up a new product Information Inc.: the-infoshop.com $ Let all household members who are old enough make up 6 ads for the product. Show and talk about the ads at a fam- Zimmerman, F. and D. Chistakis. ily meeting. How did each ad try to “sell” the product? (May 2007) Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine in UW Make a collage News. $ Find newspaper and magazine ads that appeal to emotions. Make a collage using the ads. Discuss the ads. Hang on family bulletin board for a while to encourage wise use of advertising among family members. Preschoolers $ Explain that Developing a Good Brain As you watch TV together, $ advertisers Professionals in the fields of pedi- talk about the commercials. are atric medicine, psychology, educa- Explain the difference be- not allowed tion and media literacy continue to tween ads and programs. to tell lies, caution parents about the quantity Help your child understand but they can and quality of screen time for in- that commercials are partly imply things that are not true. fants, toddlers, youth, ‘tweens and “make-believe.” $ Discuss how commercials teens. Research shows a link be- $ Introduce your preschooler to affect your family and its tween attention disorders such as children’s programs on public choices. ADD and the frequency and kind TV channels, where there are $ Study magazine or other print of programs youth watch.* no commercials. If you have ads, paying special attention to cable or satellite television, Ideas to help counter TV and other frequently used “selling” words screen activities: there are also some ad-free and claims that could or could children’s programs available. not be proven. $ Children under 12 need much Help them to understand that more time doing than viewing. products printed with the $ Let children write and then likeness of these characters videotape, draw or act out ads $ Provide mental challenges on are not “better” because Dora, they create. an ongoing basis, such as word Elmo, Big Bird, Sponge Bob $ Encourage children to make a and number puzzles like su- Square Pants, etc. decorate poster of different ads and tell doku and crossword. the item. other family members about $ Don’t fill every minute of chil- the ads they selected. dren's time. Let them learn to Highlight the various emotions entertain themselves with books the ads are using to sell and their own imaginations. products. $ Instead of TV, plug children into $ Talk about how ads are made stories or CDs in leisure time. to appeal to different markets—young children, $ Choose TV programs and teens, senior citizens, etc. DVDs that have a slower pace Teenagers and mimic real-world rhythms more closely. $ Give children other things to $ Continue with activities from do besides watching TV - other age groups, but expand. *Jeffery Johnson (May 2007) Exten- playing with friends or family Help teenagers understand the sive television viewing and the devel- members, helping around the $ opment of attention and learning diffi- home, “reading” picture books positive aspects of advertising, culties during adolescence, in Ar- and magazines, drawing or such as learning more about chives of Pediatrics & Adolescent coloring, learning to play a products and needed or Medicine. simple musical instrument, available features. making up stories, planting a $ Explore career opportunities in garden, swimming or other advertising with teenagers. Coming—In our next and final sports and so on. Remember, we need advertising to lesson we will look at some com- 6- to 12-Year-Olds make our free market system work, mon questions that parents and $ Children of this age are old but we don’t have to let advertising care givers might have concerning enough to understand how control us. We can use advertising children and money. advertising works. Talk about to help us get the best buys for the ads they see and hear. money we spend.

Chris Koehler, Extension Faculty, Washington State University Cooperative Extension; Alice M. Crites, Extension Educator, and Patricia A. Behal, Professor Emeritus, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Revised from the 1988 version of materials by Sally E. Horton, Washington State University, based on materials by Joyce Jenkins and Naomi Willis from Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

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