Free Advertisement Is Beneficial for Children Essay Sample

Advertising involves development of ways to entice consumers to buy products. This is usually with the aim of increasing sales and gain market share. Due to high rate of competition in modern world, producers and companies have come up with different ways through which their products are advertised. Moreover, due to the numerous choices in the market, advertisers tend to compete in order to develop the best advert (Cook, 2001). Therefore, sometimes they fail to consider effects of advertising to the society especially to children.

Some of the benefits of advertisement to children include the following: first through advertisement, children are made aware of the availability of new products in the market. This also increases their knowledge and understanding on what is happening on areas of innovations as well as in the field of technology (Mohan, 2005). Thus, they become more informed on the economies and other related areas of marketing. They can therefore, contribute in making more informed choices. Secondly, there are adverts that are convincing. These adverts may address areas such as health and normal life. Therefore, children can be informed on how to improve their diet. In case the adverts are attractive enough, children can also play vital role in informing their seniors of what the products entails as well the importance of buying a given commodity and not the other.

Children are our future. They are the expectations of tomorrow to carry over the duties such as development of projects, traditions as well as expansion and learning of new knowledge. Similarly, children are said to be the future consumers who will drive the economy to the next generation. Therefore, advertising to children is important (Mohan, 2005). This helps to build strong consumer base that will help in increasing purchasing power. Advertising to children is therefore said to be a big business. According top studies carried out by Wayne Friedman known as “Kids Upfront Outlook is Grim” shows that most companies spend about $800 million per year on advertisements that target children. Normally, the aim of advertising is to sell and have a return of their investment. Thus, it is worthy to note that such companies spending such huge sums of money have a good focus in the future.

America uses about $ 800 million to manufacture children products. Therefore, advertisement on such products must highly target children. Indeed, it is not only American that benefits from children advertisements but it is said to be a global business strategy. Advertisements on children develops a “The nag factor”. This is a situation where a child sees a product and starts to cry for it. This forces the parent to purchase such an item. Children, therefore, influence the spending habits of their households. However, American psychologists criticize methods used in advertising. They argue that advertisers aim at controlling the mind of consumers. According to United States Consumer Union, every child in America is exposed to about 30,000 adverts per year. These commercials brainwash them in one way or another. Although companies generate a lot of cash flow from children, they ought to consider the negative effects of such adverts.

Nevertheless, advertisements have various negative effects on children. They include the following: children have limited knowledge and understanding (Robert, 2003). Hence, they might misinterpret the messages in commercials. They might overlook on the positive aspects and concentrate on the negative side of the advert.

Children play an important role in today’s economy. Thus, adverting to children cannot be exempted. It has been part of the free market forming an essential component of our society. Thus, it must be embraced by every member of our society as it contributes to advancement in economy. Moreover, advertisement to children contributes in making the market more free as well as enabling consumers to make free choices (Robert, 2003). It also equips children with knowledge about the global economic trends at early age.

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Children may become unbecoming as they force their parents to buy a particular product they have seen in commercials whether useful or not. Most adverts are done by experts. (Robert, 2003).  Children may emulate some of the stunts that can only be performed by experts. Children become obsessed with particular products that they see on television. For example, they develop a high like of expensive food stuff, clothing, and lifestyles among others. This might be detrimental to their parents who have to incur the cost in order to satisfy their children. Children developed more anxiety to eat more of the advertised food without caring about their parent’s finances (Wernick, 1991). They want to have the newest products and styles that are being advertised. Children also prefer toys that are being advertised. Thus, it becomes hard for parents to make choices for them as they already know what they want (Cook, 2001). Due to increased advertisements, children as young as three years know the newest brand of product or clothing. Children also opt to go for products that are not beneficial to them.

McDonald asserts that although some of advertised food stuff has nutritional value, they are associated with obesity that may result in children. Others products have low nutritional value. Upon their exposure to children, they harm their health at an early age. Some children are rewarded with “Pizza Hut”, however, it would be more beneficial to children if they are given money to further their education rather than getting obsessed with such stuffs. Most schools have adverts in candy that targets children. These products are not useful at all to children as they only rot their teeth as well as make them gain abnormal weight. The worst happens when children are exposed to cigarette adverts (Robert, 2003). This promotes youth people to start smoking as they view it as a form of enjoyment and lifestyle overlooking its negative impacts. Such adverts should be discouraged.

Media violence that is involved in some of the advertisements affects children in a negative way. Upon high exposure of these violent acts, children may develop such kind of mentality that life involves solving things in violent manner. Thus, they develop aggression behavior when dealing with other people and are scared to face reality. On the contrary, the media do not see it necessary to control the number of violent acts that accompany such adverts. Competition has led to increased number of commercials that are aired per day. Moreover, technology has made it possible for many children to have access to television among other forms of media such as internet (Wernick, 1991). More children are therefore vulnerable to being victims of these violent acts. Violence commercials that are shown on television not only depict how our society is but contribute in making it more violent. With the current situation in the advertisement industry, our children are likely to develop bad characters such as being angry and criminals. Therefore, it is advisable for the society to rise to the occasion and ensure that violent advertisements and minimized on television. Media operators should be able to differentiate between advertisements and other programs. This will enable them to broadcast them in convenient time that most children will not be able to view them.

In conclusion, as stipulated above children advertisements are essential.  Despite its negative effects, children advertisements contribute to the growth of the economy. Television is the most common form of media that is used in advertisements. It is therefore important for manufacturers and advertisers to cut the hype of television adverts in order to preserve children. This will go along way in preventing children from developing violent behaviors. It is the duty of every parent to ensure that children do not spend most of their time watching television and clicking remote controls. They should pay much focus on their books.

According to researchers, high intensity of exposure to media contents at early stage can make a child to develop weird behaviors. It is the duty of advertisers to ensure that they care for the wellbeing of children and hence refrain from advertising using violence as well obscene words. Moreover, advertisers should avoid targeting children with most of the adverts. Sometimes this is considered as insidious behavior. They should not only focus on profits while infantilizing the society.

 

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