Marcuse asks the
question, “Can one really distinguish between the mass media as instruments of
information and entertainments, and as agents of manipulation and
indoctrination?” (Marcuse, 58) This question is especially important when
considering what children can and cannot interpret as being truthful or
manipulative. In the scholarly article,
“Television Advertising Leads to Unhealthy Habits in Children; Says APA Task
Force” by the American Psychological Association they look at how young children
are especially susceptible to the manipulation of advertising since they cannot
comprehend as easily what is truthful and what isn’t. The article states, “This
is a critical concern because the most common products marketed to children as
sugared cereals, candies, sweets, sodas and snack foods. Such advertising of
unhealthy food products to young children contributes to poor nutritional
habits that may last a lifetime and be a variable in the current epidemic of
obesity among kids.” (American Psychological Association, 1) This is an
important area of research because it is important to look at the negative side
effects that advertisements can have on children. Currently one of the major problems in
advertisements towards children is within the food industry. Many studies have shown the increase in
childhood obesity due to children not being as active and as well as the amount
of junk food that children are eating. Through articles like the one above we
are able to see how young children can be easily influenced by advertisements
due to their lack of understanding that an advertisement is trying to influence
them to buy a product. Because of this,
within the food industry companies are able to target young children and
convince them to eat their product even if the product is bad for them.
One of the common
food industries that target young children is sugary cereal. As a child I can remember watching cereal TV
commercials, such as Frosted Flakes and the tiger saying, “It’s great!” These
TV commercials make it seem like these children go on great adventures or are
having fun times simple because they are eating a brand of cereal. As a young child I remember these TV
commercials being convincing in targeting myself and I remember wanting to eat
these brands of cereals. However, my parents were not so convinced by these TV
commercials and recognized how unhealthy these cereals could be. This was because my parents were old enough
to understand that these advertisements were trying to manipulate people into believing
that this was the cereal that they should eat. Since my parents were able to
recognize this they never allowed my siblings or I to eat these types of
cereals except on certain occasions. Like stated above, there is a barrier
between children as consumers and these advertisements, since they must get
these products through their parents, so it also depends on the parents
feelings on these types of food. With
the rise in childhood obesity though we must start to consider the risk that we
run by advertising unhealthy food, especially towards young children that are
unable to understand the ways that advertising is manipulative.
It is important to
monitor what young children are viewing because by children viewing
advertisements and believing them, it can lead to them being convinced to eat
these foods. Currently with the increase and the dangers that surround
childhood obesity, we must start to look at ways to help prevent childhood
obesity. One of these ways is monitoring how much children are exposed to unhealthy
food through advertisements and getting children to go out and play rather than
sitting and watching TV, which exposes them to these advertisements.
Work Cited
(2004, February 23.) Television
Advertising Leads to Unhealthy Habits in Children; Says APA Task Force. American Psychological Association.
Herbert. Marcus (2008). One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the Ideology
of Advanced Industrial Society. Boston: Beacon Press.
Ads “R” Us (April 1, 2016). Frosted Flakes Commercial (Field Track)
1990. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N0jyMuJkZI
Buck Wheat (March 26, 2014). 80’s Cap’n Crunch Berries Adventure Soggies
Commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKiwLdTCzHA
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