Advertising to Children

Trying to influence the purchasing behavior of children has always presented various ethical issues. According to James U. McNeal, PhD, children under twelve spend $28 billion annually, teenagers spend 100 billion, and they influence how their parents spend to the tune of $249 billion dollars. This tremendous economic impact ensures that advertising to children will continue, but precautions must be taken to prevent psychologically negative impacts. Children do not have the same cynical view towards advertisements as adults do. An advertisement's claims seem as reliable as the news. This means that exaggerations and emotional appeals will have a much greater effect on children. Also, they are still forming their personalities. Considering the fact that advertisements will promote spending money on material things, advertisers must be careful that they do not instill materialistic values into the minds of developing children. Research has shown that when wealth and materialism becomes the dominant value for an individual, that individual is more likely to experience stree and less likely to form lasting relationships. In conclusion, while advertising towards children is an important part of our economic activity, it should be done with great care.